


Siren's Call

by Rein



Series: Siren's Call Universe [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Or rather Merman AU, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-21
Updated: 2012-08-18
Packaged: 2017-11-10 09:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 160,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/464876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rein/pseuds/Rein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inter-species relationships are never easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on FF.net but not anymore due to rude complications. 
> 
> Also, I'm really proud of this fic and back in the day, someone actually made musical themes for the fic, and I'm always gonna love them forever;
> 
> ******
> 
> This lovely lady created two pieces of music for this fic and I'm forever gonna be touched she actually did that. Because wow, that is kinda amazing.
> 
> [Siren's Call Theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpiTPWiN5kU&feature=related)  
>  [Pincoy's Lullaby](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaVkDwtXwQY&feature=relmfu)  
> 
> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> ******

The titles of Pincoya, Sirena, and Pincoy were highly coveted ranks in the northern kingdom.

These titles were given to the merfolk that best fit the qualifications. The rank of Pincoya was given to the mermaid with exceptional magic and beauty. Sirena mermaids usually were royalty, given to the first born daughter of the King. Of the three, Pincoy, in the truest sense of the word, were rare. What sets a Pincoy apart from a Sirena or Pincoya was the voice. A Pincoy was gifted with the ocean’s voice, communicating to all marine life and gifting him with magic far superior than any other. Yet for the last 200 years, that title remained unclaimed until Sora was born.

When Sora was born as the first Pincoy in over two hundred years, the title was naturally his. He was treasured and guarded as well as Triton himself. Sora was given the same education as royalty. He had all the freedom he wanted expect for one crucial rule that implied only to him. He couldn’t interact with the humans. He heard stories of the viciousness and cruelty of humans but, without ever seeing the real thing, they were just stories. The Sirena and Pincoya title holders were free to see them and the stories they shared with Sora only piqued his interest.

Humans were fascinating to him; especially the silver-haired human he first seen. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Doesn’t that feel weird?” Sora asked. Bright sea-blue eyes followed Kairi’s human legs. As the title of Pincoya, Kairi could walk on human legs with the help of a clear red crystal encased in silver. She smiled and twirled, making the long and semi-transparent skirt fan around her. A shirt made of the small material covered her breasts.

“It takes time walking on them,” She said. “That’s why we used to practice down here before we surface.”

“Well, you look weird.” Sora teased, sticking his tongue out at her. Kairi grinned and skipped along the smooth stone surface of the cavern. She skipped over to the water entrance where Sora sat. He hoisted his body out of the water and laid his tail out on the ground. His slick blue tail glistened from the lights that hung on the wall. The necklace around Kairi’s neck jangled and Sora looked at it. He could see the swirling mass of magic that helped Kairi maintain her legs.

“Don’t you ever wonder how you would look like with legs?” Kairi asked. She sat down next to Sora and dipped her legs into the cool sea water.

“I do but I can’t. Leon said I wouldn’t be able to maintain the form with the extra surge of magic coursing through me.” Sora dipped and flicked his fin in the water. He moved his fin in a small circle and watched the ripples fade away.

“I’m sure there’s a gem out there strong enough to help you control it.” Kairi said.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have a reason to surface like you or Naminé.”

“Speaking of Naminé, where is she?” Kairi asked Sora. He shrugged and they both looked at the land entrance on the other side of the cavern.

“She’s usually not late for this.” He said a bit worriedly. Kairi smiled gently and patted his head.

“He’s going to be extra grouchy.” She knowingly said.

“I know but…I have to try.” Sora replied. “My access to the surface is already restricted to the point of barely existing. I have to see him again.”

“Your human?” Kairi said. Sora blushed and shook his head.

“He is not _my_ human. He’s just a human I happened to see on one of my secret trips to the surface.” Sora stated. Kairi laughed and leaned back. She liked teasing Sora if only for the fact it was so easy to get him flustered.

“Well, I guess it sucks you won’t ever get to meet him with your Guardian always around.”

“You have Wakka as a Guardian so you wouldn’t know strict even if it bit your fin!” Sora said, blowing a raspberry at her. She grinned and lightly smacked Sora’s head.

“He’s plenty strict but, compared to Leon, Wakka would look like the calm eye in the middle of a hurricane. Leon would be the rest.” Sora tried to frown but it made him want to laugh instead. He looked at Kairi with his attempted frown. They exchanged a look and the pair fell into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. They leaned against each other as their laughter bounced across the stone walls. The giggles subsided and Sora fell quiet as he looked at the water.

“Have you talked to him?” Sora asked.

“Who?” She asked. “Your human?”

“He’s not my human,” Sora whispered vehemently. “He’s just a human but yeah, have you?”

Kairi shook her head, “No. I can’t talk to him like that.”

“Why not?” Sora asked her. Kairi solemnly stared at Sora and leaned towards him.

“I can’t because he’s _your human!_ ” She laughed and squealed as Sora lunged towards her. Kairi quickly moved away, lifting her legs out of the water to take two steps away from the water entrance’s edge. Sora blushed fiercely and crossed his arms across his chest.

“He’s not my human.” He mumbled to himself while Kairi continued to giggle.

“Who’s not whose human?”

They both turned their heads towards the land entrance. Naminé was walking towards Kairi, the same cloth wrapped around her waist and breasts with a similar necklace around her neck. The only difference between her crystal and Kairi’s was that Naminé’s crystal was transparent amber. Sora waved then pointed at Kairi but she spoke up first.

“Y’know that human who’s always practicing on the shore of Destiny Island?” Kairi asked.

“The one with the blindfold?”

“Yeah,” Kairi nodded and smirked as she looked at Sora. He caught the look and grumbled. “Sora wants me to talk to him-“

“I _so_ did not say that!” Sora shouted.

“-but I can’t ‘cause he is Sora’s human.”

“I’m gonna bite you if you come near me.” Sora threatened. Naminé chuckled as the two bickered back and forth. By the time Kairi reached the water edge with Naminé, Sora had forgotten about biting her. Now that Naminé was there, they could get started on his attempt of surfacing without Leon’s notice.

“By the way, why were you late?” Kairi asked as she tapped her necklace. Her legs quickly melded together; fusing together until it was back in her original form of a tail and an instant later brilliant red scale covered the flesh. The change happened in less than two seconds and they could see a wisp of magic evaporate into nothing. Naminé tapped hers’ as well; her legs fused together into her powerful tail as the flesh was replaced with golden scales that glittered just as vibrantly as Kairi’s.

“Cid is a very thorough teacher.” She said with a grimace. Sora laughed as he knew all too well just how diligent Cid was as a teacher.

“At least he’s not Leon.” Sora said.

“How about we all agree Leon is a pretty damn strict Guardian?” Kairi said as she raised a hand in the air. Sora and Naminé laughed as they raised their hands as well.

“Shall we get going?” Naminé asked. Sora and Kairi nodded as they followed Naminé into the water. Once in, Sora relaxed. He felt comfortable in the water where it completely surrounded his body. He wasn’t as used to the air as Naminé or Kairi, seeing as how they make frequent trips to the surface. It was to be expected from a merman who has never walked on human legs.

“What path are we taking this time?” Sora asked.

“We’ll take the emergency path. It’s close to the surface from the exit.”

“Alright, let’s go!” Sora grinned as he swam through the waterway. They were in no hurry so far because the waterway they swam through was only accessible to the title holders and their Guardians. As far as they knew, Wakka, Cid, Leon, were busy doing other things. Sora, who loved the rush of water gliding over his skin, propelled his tail faster. Naminé and Kairi easily kept a steady pace. He couldn’t go excessively fast because of the sharp turns they needed to make but he went as fast as he could go.

“Do you think you’ll make it today?” Kairi asked.

“If I do, you have to bring me back that dark spongy thing you brought me last time.” Sora said.

“A cake?”

“Yeah.” Sora yelled excitedly as he turned towards the left. The tunnel they entered climbed up at an angle. Sora pushed himself faster and whooped happily. There were no sharp turns he had to worry about as they steadily swam faster. Kairi moved closer to Naminé as they watched Sora swim ahead of them.

“He’s happy.” She said.

“And the reason he’s so happy is because of that human he accidently glimpsed.” Naminé said.

“It’s a little strange.”

“Kairi, _he’s_ a little strange.” Naminé said with a gentle smile.

“Yeah,” Kairi said. They noticed Sora was yards ahead of them and they picked up the pace. “Still, even I wasn’t that attached to first human I saw.”

“He wouldn’t be so interested if Leon wasn’t so strict.” Naminé said. Kairi nodded just as Sora yelled out to them. They propelled their tails harder as they caught up to Sora. The trio burst out of the tunnel, into the wide ocean with only two miles of sea to go before they could surface.

“Alright, game time!” Kairi yelled. She swam closer to Sora. Naminé moved in closer, swimming above them. Sora was taking the lead, swimming considerably faster than the girls. He wanted to reach the surface. That was the only thought that was forcing his tail into action. And he was close! Maybe a mile before they reached the surface.

“Sora!”

“Oh no…” Sora recognized the voice. He ignored it as he kept his eyes on the surface. He didn’t turn his head back but he could feel his Guardian catching up to him. Kairi stole a glance at Naminé, who caught the look. They both nodded and swam faster.

“C’mon, Sora!” Kairi shouted. “Don’t give up!”

“I know…but…” Kairi suddenly yelled as she was pulled away. Sora’s eyes widened and looked over at Naminé. She had the same wide eyed look as she quickly shook her head and looked ahead. Sora followed her lead but then she yelled and he felt her absence. Sora gulped but didn’t stop. He was so close to the surface. He couldn’t stop. Now it didn’t even matter if he saw the human or not. He just wanted to surface for the sake of it.

“Dammit, Sora!”

Sora flinched as he felt strong arms wrap around his waist. The sudden stop forced the air out of his lungs as he slumped against the arms that held him captive. He breathed in heavily, coughing and catching his breath. The surface was so close. He was so near and had been stopped. He couldn’t help but feel dejected. Naminé and Kairi swam to him.

Naminé grabbed his head and made him look at her, “We’ll bring you back a piece of that cake, okay?” She said. Sora glumly nodded and watched as they swam away. He felt frustrated at the thought of being so close to the surface and then having that chance slip away so easily. He violently flicked his fin against his Guardian’s hip. He regretted it an instant later. Leon said nothing as he began his slow swim back to the kingdom.

Sora knew Leon was doing his job but sometimes it was too much. His freedom was already supervised by royalty. If he had been born a normal merman and not a Pincoy, he probably would’ve surfaced just as much as Kairi or Naminé. But he was and there was nothing he could do.

“Why do you keep doing this?” Leon asked. Sora remained quiet, keeping his body limp against Leon’s arms. He couldn’t tell him, not ever. If Leon even suspected the reason why Sora wanted to surface without him, Sora was sure he would never be left alone. Only Kairi and Naminé knew his reason. So Sora lied, as he usually did with this particular matter.

“I just do.” Sora said softly.

“It doesn’t explain why.” Leon said.

“You’re too protective.”

“And you’re too damn mischievous.” Leon quickly replied. Sora grumbled and quickly pouted. An awkward pause fell between them. Sora wanted to smack him another one but he already felt guilty about the welt he knew has formed from his first smack. He sighed and pulled against Leon’s arms. Leon looked up and checked to see the distant from the surface. Sora rolled his eyes, knowing Leon wouldn’t let go until he checked it was okay. When he was satisfied with the distant, Leon loosened his hold around Sora. He turned around and looked at Leon. As always, his face was calm and near expressionless. Sora glanced at Leon’s hip and winced. Sure enough, there was an angry red welt on his hip.

Sora swam close and pressed his hand against the welt. He mumbled a few words and began to heal him.

“…Sorry,” Sora mumbled. Leon looked down at Sora’s bowed head and sighed. He lifted his hand and gently patted Sora’s head.

“It’s fine. A hit like that doesn’t hurt.” Leon said.

Sora smiled, “Still, I’m really sorry.”

“This won’t stop you from surfacing, will it?” Leon asked. Sora grinned and looked at his Guardian.

“Of course not,” he said. “Until I’m allowed to surface without the company of you, I’m going to try again.”

“I figured as much.” Leon said. Now free of Leon’s hold, Sora slowly swam ahead of him as he usually did. Leon preferred to swim behind Sora as a cautionary measure. It was easier to guard him. It used to bother Sora when he was younger but he had grown used to Leon’s penetrating gaze that it barely affected him anymore. Sora swam aimlessly until a wandering thought became an idea. He quickly turned around.

“Leon, have you seen Roxas?” Sora asked.

“He’s with Cid.” Leon answered.

“Huh? Why?”

“He’s been promoted to Guardian-in-training.” Leon said.

“Really? Oh my god, I have to congratulate him!” Sora hurriedly swam off. Leon watched him go and waited.

He began counting, “5, 4, 3, 2…” Sora swam back with his cheeks flushed and a sheepish grin on his lips. He laughed nervously and scratched his head as he approached a smirking Leon.

“Stop that!” He shouted. “So… where is he?” Sora asked.

“In the training hall.” Leon said.

“Haha, I knew that.” Sora replied, his face still blushing brightly. Leon shrugged and together they swam towards the palace. Several mermaids and mermen greeted Sora by his title. Sora smiled at them and continued on his way. Leon kept an alert look out as he closely followed Sora through the public. Even when they entered the palace, he didn’t let his guard drop a miniscule until they reached the back section of the palace reserved for the title holders and their guardians. The only person who had access to the title holders home was the king of their kingdom and those who were deemed as trustworthy by Triton and the king. Sora sped through the hallway, taking sharp turns around the smooth stone edges without regard. When he neared the arched entrance of the training ground, Sora smiled as he spotted his friend.

“ROXAS!” Sora yelled. Roxas, in the middle of a mock battle with Cid, turned his head. He began to smile but then a large wooden spear painfully jabbed him in the stomach. He grunted in pain and dropped his wooden sword as he clenched his stomach. Sora hurried to his side but Leon grabbed and held Sora back.

“Leon!”

“He’s still in training.” Leon said and didn’t release his hold. Sora grumbled and watched.

“Shit like that is going to get you and your title holder killed.” Cid said. Roxas merely grunted as he glared up at Cid. Cid grinned and spun his spear around, bringing the sharp point towards Roxas. Roxas reacted quickly. He ducked out of the way and reached for his sword. He felt the rush of water over his head as Cid swung his spear at Roxas head. Roxas growled and skimmed along the sandy ground. When he sensed that Cid was swimming directly above him, Roxas quickly turned and pressed his fin against the ground. He kicked off with a shout and raised his sword at Cid.

Cid smirked and instantly reacted to Roxas attack. He parried the blow of Roxas’s sword with the thick haft of his spear and violently twisted it around. Roxas’s sword flew out of his wounded hand and before he could blink, the sharp point of Cid’s spear was at his throat. Roxas could feel the sharp point slightly prick his skin. He resisted the urge to gulp and looked up at Cid. They stared at each other for a few tense seconds.

“Not bad,” Cid said as he withdrew his spear. Roxas sighed. Sora, who watched the whole event with bated breath, sighed in relief. “You have spunk but that won’t get you far. We’ll continue tomorrow, Roxas.”

“Leon…” Sora whined.

Leon automatically released Sora and he sped off like a torpedo towards Roxas. Sora rushed passed Cid, nodding a hello, before he reached Roxas. Cid reached Leon and the pair watched Sora fuss over Roxas, who seemed to like the attention.

“Remind you of old time, don’t it Squall.” Cid said.

“Old times I’d rather not remember.” Leon said with a grimace. Cid chuckled loudly and clapped his large hand on Leon’s back.

“This one here shows a lot of promise.” Cid said. Leon glanced at Cid then smirked.

“Getting him ready for your retirement, then?” Cid frowned and grumbled.

“Like hell I am. Once I’m through with him, he’s gonna be Sora’s Guardian as well.”

“I’m not enough?”

“Fuck Squall, you’re more than enough,” Cid said. “That pipsqueak over there is just exceptional and the King wants nothing to happen to the little fella.” They both looked at Sora and Roxas. Sora was grinning widely as Roxas said something to him and made him laugh. Roxas smiled when Sora laughed, the glow apparent to anyone who bothered to look. He tackled Sora to the sandy ground and they wrestled.

“The kid has guts to be able to do that with Sora.” Leon noted.

“It’s a different place where we’re from. Those two have been friends since birth. I reckon that’s the only friend Sora has that won’t suck up to him because of what he is. That’s why Roxas can mess around with him like that.” Cid said. Leon looked on wordlessly for a few quiet minutes.

“Where’s Wakka?” Leon asked after a moment of quiet.

“Up on the surface with the girls,” He said. “Isn’t it ‘bout time to harvest?”

Leon nodded. “You won’t need him anymore?”

“Nah, the tyke already finished up his lessons.” Cid clapped his hand against Leon’s back once more than left.

“Sora, let’s go.” Leon called out.

“Okay!” Sora replied. He breathed heavily as he turned his head to look at Roxas. He had pinned Sora down on the ground, using his fin to keep Sora’s own fin pinned.

“You have to go?” Roxas asked.

Sora nodded, “Yeah, I gotta go harvest my voice.”

“So that means you’ll be sleeping the rest of the day.”

Sora nodded again, “Come with me to bed after they harvest it.”

“Why? Won’t Leon be with you?” Roxas asked.

“He stands guard outside our room with the other Guardians. Naminé and Kairi are usually with me when they harvest my voice so that we can sleep together but they’re not here. I…uhhh… I can’t sleep by myself.” Sora admitted, turning a bit red. Roxas stared and laughed loudly, getting off of Sora. Sora pouted and pushed Roxas as he swam away.

“Alright, sorry Sora,” Roxas swam towards Sora. “I accept but am I allowed?” He asked, looking at a stern faced Leon.

“Leon, after they harvest my voice, Roxas is coming with me to my room.” Sora said to Leon, who just nodded.

“Let’s get going.” He said. Sora nodded and grabbed Roxas arm, swimming ahead of Leon with him. Leon followed them. His hand ran over the hilt of his blade that was hooked onto a belt around his waist. He kept his hand on the hilt and focused on his priority; the safety of Sora.


	3. Chapter 3

Near the Coast of Destiny Island, Naminé and Kairi watched the shoreline from a tiny outcrop of a land near the larger island. They sat on the near horizontal trunk of the paopu tree. Wakka, Kairi’s Guardian, stood a few feet behind them, leaning against a coconut tree. From their view point, they could see the silver-haired human who held Sora’s interest. He held a long black cloth in one hand. In his other hand he held a blue and red blade. He hooked the hilt to his belt as he tied the cloth around his eyes. Kairi and Naminé watched with curiosity as he unhooked the hilt and assumed a battle stance.

“He must be incredibly strong.” Naminé said.

“Or incredibly stupid.” Kairi added.

“Kairi!” chided Naminé, lightly slapping Kairi’s head. Kairi laughed and stuck her tongue out at Naminé. Naminé tried to frown but ended up chuckling along with Kairi.

“Be nice.” She said, turning her attention back to the human.

“I know,” Kairi said. “It’s a random impulse.”

“Well, he’s rather interesting, Miss Impulse.” Naminé said.

“What’s so interesting about him?” Kairi asked.

Naminé smiled as she tapped her index finger against her cheek, “He’s the only human who hasn’t approached us.” Kairi furrowed her brow in thought as she looked at the human. He wasn’t moving around much but his sword was cutting though the air fast enough that she could hear the whistle it made.

“That’s not so strange.”

“Think about it. At least every human on this island has approached us.” Naminé supplied.

It instantly clicked. “Oh, I see. He’s never even tried.” Kairi hummed in thought. She tapped her fingers against the bark. “I kind of want to know his name now.” Naminé nodded along with her as they watched him for a moment longer. He seemed skillful. He quickly melted into each stance with no hesitation and handled the blade with ease and force. Naminé examined him closely.

“He has great control of his body.” Naminé absentmindedly said. Kairi laughed and leaned towards Naminé.

“You sounded like Cid just now.” She said.

“I did!?” Naminé said with a blush, looking at Kairi. Behind them, Wakka chuckled softly. Naminé and Kairi heard which made the blonde Sirena blush a deeper red. She looked down at her lap in embarrassment while Kairi almost fell off the trunk from laughing.

“You spend too much time around Cid!” Kairi said, wiping away a stray tear of laughter.

“He’s always talking about fighting and body control so it’s not like I can ignore it especially when he gathers Leon and Wakka for warm-ups and…KAIRI!” During Naminé’s explanation, Kairi had burst into another round of giggles. Naminé pouted and stayed silent until Kairi could breathe without clutching her stomach. Kairi gradually stopped laughing but she would occasionally giggle.

“Are you done?” Naminé asked.

“Yeah,” Kairi said, taking a deep breath in. She smiled and looked at the paopu fruit above her head. “We should take a paopu fruit for Sora today. I’m sure he would love the legend the natives have about it.”

“Yeah, he definitely would.” Naminé said. Kairi nodded and slowly pulled her legs up as she stood up on the thick trunk.

“Okay, I’ll get the fruit and you will get his name.” Kairi commanded as she edged her way towards the end of the tree. Naminé hopped off the trunk and looked at Kairi.

“Alright but be careful. You’re not exactly an expert tree climber.” Naminé said.

“Don’t worry. All I gotta do is shuffle up that vertical part of the trunk to grab a fruit.”

Naminé sighed and ran towards Wakka. He merely nodded as he kept his eyes on Kairi. At this point, Kairi had wrapped her legs around the tree trunk and was stretching her arm out. Naminé chuckled as she ran to the back of the tiny land and climbed down the ladder. She smiled softly when the water touched her bare feet. She adjusted her shirt, pulling the rest down to cover her stomach.

Naminé jogged through the shallow water towards the shore. She took a peek and looked up. Kairi now had her arms around the trunk and was sort of awkwardly shuffling up the tree. Naminé shook her head in disbelief then continued walking towards the shore. The human had heard her splashing and he stopped. He pulled off his blindfold but kept the sword in his hand. Naminé came to a stop a few feet away from the human.

“Umm, I’m sorry to interrupt your training but can I know your name? I’m Naminé.” Naminé greeted with a smile.

“I’m Riku,” he said. “Why?

“Curiosity mostly,” Naminé said. “Thank you for telling me. I know it’s kind of strange but…”

“NAMINÉ!”

Naminé turned her head back to the smaller island. Kairi had the fruit in her hand. The only problem was that she was in the air, falling. Naminé gasped and quickly ran towards Kairi in a panic. “Kairi!” She yelled.

“Naminé, catch!” Kairi shouted as she threw the fruit at Naminé. Naminé caught it but stared in horror as Kairi fell. Time slowed to a crawl as Naminé watched. Kairi didn’t seem worried at all as she looked down at Naminé and pointed towards the tree. Confused, Naminé followed just as Wakka jumped off the island. He used the trunk of the tree to propel his jump further to reach Kairi. He caught her in his arms and twisted around in the air with his back to the sea. They fell with a large splash, droplets of sea water raining on Naminé as she stared in amazement at Kairi. Wakka was completely submerged in the shallow sea water; Kairi’s body safely tucked in Wakka’s arms. Her body was shaking and for a moment Naminé was genuinely worried until she heard Kairi giggle.

“Kairi! That was reckless!” She yelled. Kairi pushed Wakka’s arms away and stood up. She grinned and stepped away as Wakka stood to his feet.

“It was fun,” Kairi responded. Wakka groaned and rubbed his sore head. It wasn’t a long fall and the water did cushion the impact considerably but he still managed to knock his head against the sandy floor rather hard. Kairi glanced at her Guardian. “Are you okay, Wakka?”

“Ya, I’ll be fine. It’s not a problem but I think we should head back now.”

“I second that,” Naminé said as she turned around and headed further into the sea. Kairi ran after her, linking arms with Naminé. Wakka followed them but Naminé suddenly stopped. She turned around and held out the paopu fruit to Wakka with an embarrassing grin.  “I can’t air bubble this yet.” She said.

“You can’t?” Kairi asked. Naminé shook her head, slightly red in the face. Wakka smiled and took the fruit from Naminé.

“Don’t worry, Naminé. Neither can Kairi.”

“Hey! Wakka, don’t go saying that out loud!” Kairi said, now embarrassed as well. Naminé giggle and began to tease Kairi. Kairi ran further ahead. She waved her hand over her crystal and dove under water. Naminé grinned and did the same, following Kairi with more of her light teasing. Wakka followed behind them and things suddenly become quiet. From the shore, Riku had watched them disappear into the ocean.

\------

Below the surface, Sora had spent the majority of his day in the garden with Leon. Roxas was training with Cid and he had closed the door to the training hall. Naminé and Kairi were on the surface. Sora rolled onto his back on the spongy coral reef he laid on and stretched his arms. Leon floated at the entrance to the garden, his face as expressionless as always. Sora didn’t mind the look, he’s been with Leon since he was little so it didn’t affect, but Leon wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Sora stared at Leon until he could feel Sora’s penetrating gaze.

“Sora…do you have a question?” He asked.

“I don’t know. I’m bored and I want to talk to somebody.”Sora said.

“So you decide to stare at me until I have to ask why you’re staring at me?”

Sora nodded, “Yeah. You don’t like to talk much so I thought if I stared, you wouldn’t mind that much.”

“I guess I do,” Leon said. Sora chuckled and swam away from the coral reef. “You have no one else to talk to?” He watched Sora settle down on the ground. He began to sing softly in a language Leon didn’t know. Sora sang in the language of ancient times, way before he or Leon was even born. Even though Sora sang in a foreign tongue, Leon could feel the words dance around him as Sora continued. It made Leon feel tranquil and warm for a brief moment. A sea turtle swam from the coral reef and headed towards Sora. Sora smiled and stopped singing, the warm tranquility still lingering in the water as Sora petted the turtle.

“I do but my old friends address me by my title and I don’t like it. It seems strained and too formal for me with them.” Sora ran his fingers over the shell of the turtle. He gently tapped the head and watched it swim away. “It makes your job easier so it works out for you.” Sora ran his finger through the sand and remained silent.

“Something’s bothering you.” Leon said.

“Roxas’s training won’t be easy, will it?” He asked, drawing a pattern in the sand.

“You’re worried?”

“Of course! Yesterday I passed by the training hall and the door was open. I peeked in and saw Roxas slumped on the ground with a large gash on his stomach. How can I not be worried?!” Leon stared at Sora, who had lifted himself of the ground as he had protested. Leon couldn’t help but look away and chuckle. Sora, very much concerned for Roxas’s well being, stared awestruck and glowered at Leon. “It’s not funny!”

Leon left his post as he swam towards Sora and planted his hand on top of Sora’s head. “The training for a Guardian is more severe than the military training around here. He knows the risks.”

“Well, I don’t like it.” Sora said with a pout. Leon ruffled up his hair and swam back to the entrance. Sora swam after him, leaving the garden. He swam through the hallways without much thought, just drifting about. If he had any thought, it was about the human. He was anxious for Naminé and Kairi to come back so they could plan their next escapade to the surface. It’s been days since Sora had seen the human and the image he had committed to memory was beginning to fade. All he could clearly remember was the human’s silver hair. Sora flipped over, swimming on his back as he stared at the rocky ceiling.

“Leon?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I go swimming with the dolphins later?” Sora asked.

“Why later?” Leon asked.

“I’m waiting for Kairi and Naminé to see if they want to come with me; maybe Roxas too if he’s not too sore.”

“Cid and Wakka will have to come then.” Leon said.

“I know but the more the merrier,” Sora replied with a smile. He loved swimming freely, with no restraint, and swimming with the dolphins was the ultimate rush of freedom. “I’m bored again.”

“Not for long.” Leon said as he pointed to the entrance near Sora. Sora turned and spotted the small but quickly growing figure of Naminé and Kairi. He grinned and waved enthusiastically as they swam towards him. Kairi grinned as she sped by Sora and grabbed his arm without stopping. He was whisked along by her as she took Sora away. Leon looked at the space Sora previously stood by, unsure what had just happened. Naminé pulled up beside him.

“That was Kairi, right?” Leon asked. Naminé giggled and nodded as she waited for Wakka to catch up. Aside from Sora, Kairi was the second fastest mermaid but only when she wanted to be.

“Where’s Kairi?” Wakka asked, standing beside Naminé.

“She swam off with Sora that way,” Naminé answered. She took the paopu fruit sealed in the air bubble Wakka made. “Thanks Wakka.”

“No problem, Naminé.”

She waved goodbye and hurried after Kairi and Sora. Kairi had taken Sora into another cavern only accessible to the title holders. The entrance was in the room they shared. A short waterway in the ceiling connected the room and cavern. Half of the cavern was land while the other side was filled with water. Kairi and Sora emerged from the water and finally released Sora’s arm. She turned towards him and grinned, holding up the peace sign with her hand.

“Kairi?”

“We got his name.” She quickly said. Sora blink, unsure he heard right. Sora gave her a look like he didn’t believe her. Kairi dismissed the look and nodded as she swan towards the rocky edge of the cavern.

“You did?” Sora asked.

“Yep! Naminé asked him herself.” Kairi said. Just then, Naminé surfaced from the water. Sora looked at her for confirmation and she nodded.

“Tell me!” He said, rushing towards Kairi. Kairi hoisted herself on the edge, her tail dipped in the water.

“The human you are so smitten with is called Riku.” She said.

“Riku.” Sora said, testing the name out. He liked the way it sounded. Sora repeated his name again and smiled. It sounded right. He didn’t know why or how it could sound right but the way it just rolled off his tongue made it feel right. Sora sighed in content and braced his arm on the edge of the surface, resting his head on his forearms. Naminé drifted over to Kairi and together they stared at Sora. He was definitely happy with that little tidbit of information.

“Sora, we also brought something else.” Naminé said. She lifted her hands out of the water and held out the paopu fruit still contained in the air bubble. Sora’s eyes widened as he stared at the star shaped fruit.

“It’s so pretty,” Sora said. He took the fruit from Naminé’s hand and popped the bubble. “Do I eat it like this?”

Kairi shook her head, “Nu-uh. The humans on the island have a legend that goes along with the fruit. I think it goes like this: If two people share one their destinies become intertwined. They’ll remain a part of each other lives no matter what.”

“It’s a really romantic legend.” Naminé said.

Kairi giggled and nudged Naminé, “He’s out of it again.” Naminé looked and sure enough she could see the daydreams dancing in his clear blue eyes. Sora placed the fruit on the ground and went over to hug Naminé.

“I love it!” He said. He hoisted his upper body out of the water and planted a kiss on Kairi’s cheek as her thank you. He fell back down into the water and stared at his fruit. He knew it would be impossible to share it with Riku but it was a nice thought to carry. At the least, he could share it with Roxas or Leon. Sora smiled and looked at Kairi and Naminé.

“Do you want to go swimming with the dolphins?” He asked. The girls grinned and nodded. Kairi jumped into the water and together they swam out of the cavern.

\------

It took a while to gather everybody. Cid was still training Roxas so Kairi, Naminé, and Sora had to wait. If they were going out of the palace, they needed to have their own Guardians with them. Sora chatted with Kairi and Naminé, releasing all his pent up conversation from a rather quiet day. They waited about half an hour before Cid showed up. As Leon told the idea to him, Sora swam up to Roxas and checked him for bruises. Cid was alright with the idea and once Sora made sure Roxas wasn’t hurt, they headed off into the open sea.

Roxas, Sora, Kairi, and Naminé swam together with Cid, Wakka, and Leon trailing behind them. Once they were away from their kingdom’s border, Sora began to sing. He sang loudly in the foreign language, the unbridle joy evident in the melody. Being out in the open sea made Sora happier beyond reason. This was the ultimate restrict free freedom he had. As long as Leon was with him, Sora could swim as fast and far as he wanted to. He smiled and sang louder, his tail propelling him faster. The others smiled at Sora’s joy and waited. It wouldn’t be long before the dolphins showed up. Sure enough, a few hundred yards above their heads they heard the echoing clicks of a school of dolphin. Sora momentarily stopped singing as he grinned.

“Hey!”

He shot upwards and began to sing again. The others followed and spread out amongst the dolphins. Wakka stayed close to Kairi and Cid followed Naminé as Roxas and Leon trailed behind Sora. The dolphins welcomed them into their ranks, several swimming close to Sora as he sang. He grabbed onto the fin of a dolphin.

“How about a lift?” He kindly asked. The dolphin squeaked in response and suddenly shot upwards at an angle.

Kairi and Naminé followed suit, grabbing on the large dorsal fin of the dolphin closest to them. Roxas joined them as well. The Guardians merely skimmed below the water’s surface as the four dolphins jumped out of the water. Kairi whooped loudly and let go of her hold at the peak of the height. She stretched her arms and nose dived back into the water. Roxas did the same, only he somersaulted once before he dove back into the water. Sora and Naminé held on to their dolphins during the leap. They splashed back down into the water. Sora thanked his dolphin and released his hold on the fin. The dolphin squeaked several times before it joined the rest of the dolphins.

“Take care!” He called out as he slowed down. Sora stood by Leon as they watched the dolphins swim away.

“Do you feel better?” Leon asked. Sora looked at him, surprised that he asked but he smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. A good swim with the dolphins always makes me feel better,” Sora said. Leon smiled and looked around. The others were swimming towards them, each with their own Guardian right beside them. Even though Cid and Wakka were near, he didn’t like being in the open sea for too long. He looked around him, cautious of his surroundings. He wrapped an arm around Sora’s waist and pulled him closer. “Leon?”

“Shh…” He became tense. He held his hand near the hilt of his blade. The sea was always quiet but not as quiet as it was now. Wakka and Cid noticed the look on Leon’s face and gathered the girls near them. Roxas, who was smiling with Naminé, noticed and quickly swam towards Sora. Before Roxas could reach Sora, a spear whizzed past him from below, nearly piercing him through the stomach. They looked below them and saw a pack a masked mermen. There were at least five of them, each carrying the crest of their rival kingdom on the masks.

“Cid!” Leon shouted as he grabbed Sora and quickly swam towards them. Another spear shot passed by Sora causing him to flinch. He looked behind him and noticed two of the attackers were gone. He quickly looked around but they were completely gone and he began to worry. Wakka rushed past Leon, towards the attackers. Leon passed Sora to Cid and quickly unsheathed his blade as he joined Wakka below. Naminé and Kairi held hands, turning away from the scene.

“Roxas, go join them. It’s good experience.” Cid said. Roxas nodded and unsheathed his own blade.

Sora watched him go; hoping things would end quickly. Below them, Leon was locked in a fight with two of the attackers. One of them swung their spear at Leon’s head. Leon dodged and slapped the spear out of the attackers hand as he parried the blow from another attacker in front of him. Wakka plowed into another attacker and literally knocked him unconscious. He quickly joined Leon and took on one of the attackers. Leon dodged the sharp point of the spear and ducked. It took the attacker by surprise and Leon used it. He thrust his blade upward, pushing the blade into the attacker’s neck. Blood spilled into the water and the attacker instantly died. Leon yanked his blade out and slashed the attacker Wakka was fighting. His blade pierced the attacker through his chest, successfully stabbing his heart and ending his life. Roxas cringed but didn’t look away. The two dead bodies slowly sank into the depths of the cold ocean.

“Atta boy, Squall!” Cid shouted. The attacker next to Roxas began to stir but Roxas whacked him over the head with his fin which knocked the attacker back unconscious. Kairi slowly turned around, peeking through her fingers.

“Is it over?” She asked.

“Yep.” Cid said. Wakka swam over to Roxas and grabbed the attacker by his neck as Roxas discarded him of all his weapons. Roxas looked over at Sora who had his eyes on Leon. He watched the bodies disappear into the dark and sheathed his blade. He turned around and began his swim towards Cid and the others when he noticed a looming shadow above their heads.

“C id! Above you!” He shouted. Cid looked above his head just as the looming shadow covered them. Before Cid could have time to cuss, the shadow dove down at Cid and the rest. It was a great white shark, at least thirty feet in length. One of the attackers rode on its back as it barged through Cid’s protective guard around Sora, Kairi, and Naminé. The rough skin of the shark bruised skin, especially Sora’s as he was close to the shark. Wakka immediately let go of the attacker as he rushed over to Kairi. The shark turned around again and began to charge towards Sora.

“Sora! Get away!!” Leon shouted as he chased after the shark. Sora nervously nodded and forced his tail to move. He swam away but Sora could feel the shark behind him. He closed his eyes and tried to talk to the shark but it was being heavily controlled and its mind was blocked. Sora panicked but swam faster, trying to put as much distance between him and the shark. He pumped his tail faster, using all of his strength. He didn’t dare look back or even slowed down. Leon told him to run and he would until Leon came and told him to stop. Sora closed his eyes again and sensed what was behind him. It came to a shock that he couldn’t feel anything. He blinked and tried again but all he could feel was the vastness of the sea behind him. Sora forced himself to swim on but curiosity beat him. He slowly turned around. There was nothing behind him.

He came into a complete stop and looked around. He was completely alone. He couldn’t sense the shark or Leon. “Leon?”

There was no response. He called out again. He called out to everybody but nobody responded. He tried not to panic and recalled the words Leon told him if he ever got lost.

_Study your surroundings and, if possible, surface._

Sora glanced above him and gladly noticed the surface was just a mere meter away. The panic he felt that tried to consume him subdued a considerable amount. Sora aimed his way towards the surface. He surfaced and took a deep breath in. He was close to Destiny Island and made his way to the shore when he suddenly felt the presence of the shark. He quickly ducked underneath the water and looked around. It wasn’t visible but he could feel its presence slowly gaining on him. He resisted the urge to gulp and looked below him. Sora stared into the depths of darkness surrounded by the hundreds of razor sharp teeth. Sora panicked and screamed. Far off he heard the sound of splashing near the island but the sight of the looming, bloody teeth coming towards him made him faint into utter darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Sora remembered a story Naminé told him about some of the fears humans had. There were plenty but one of the biggest fears was sharks. Sora never understood why and he was sure he never would but at the moment, the fear he felt now could grossly be compared to that. Sora remembered the open jaw of the attacking shark but now he was alone. Utterly alone in the dark ocean and all Sora could think about was hoping someone would find him because the only fear Sora had was being alone. He was sure he had been just below the surface but as he looked up he couldn’t see anything but darkness. It felt like he wasn’t even floating in the ocean anymore, just floating in some infinite space where he couldn’t see anything beyond his outstretched arms. He resisted the urge to blindly swim around and closed his eyes but as soon as he did, Sora felt something rough brush against his back.

He quickly opened his eyes and whirled around. He saw nothing behind him. The panic that had inched over his skin settled in further into his body towards his heart.

_Just breathe and relax_ , Sora thought.  He closed his eyes again and tried to sense for any other life. Almost immediately, he felt something brush against his back in an almost frighteningly teasing matter. He quickly turned around and this time Sora caught the glimpse of a large caudal fin disappear into the dark. The panic crawled closer to his heart. He bit down on his tongue as the urge to swim away pounded against his mind.

“Just…just try to reach out to her.” Sora said to himself. He didn’t close his eyes as he tried to sense the shark but he couldn’t. However, this time, he saw the shark slowly emerge from the dark water. It slowly circled around Sora.

He realized that its’ mind was blocked. He stayed still as the shark swam inches away from his body. Sora felt the fear of the shark only because he couldn’t reach out to her. He wrapped his arms around his chest as it swam back into the dark water. It looked like the dark engulfed the shark, allowing it to hide from Sora’s sight.

“Leon, where are you?” Sora asked to the abyss. He shrank back as he saw the shark emerge again. This time it stopped with half of its body exposed. Sora had a clear view of the front of the shark as it slowly opened its jaws. He stared into rows and rows of bloody triangular teeth. He felt a shiver run down his spine. The panic now dominated his heart. He could feel his heart beating so loudly he was sure it had jumped to the bottom of his throat. He was alone, completely alone in a dark void, with the shark a mere two yards away with its’ mouth poised open to kill. He was going to die, quite possibly twice seeing as how he was sure he died once already.

What kind of Hell was this?

The shark charged forward without warning.

“Leon!!”

Sora woke up violently, lifting himself up to a sitting position. He breathed heavily as he looked at the sea in front of his eyes. Sora lifted his hands and touched his face. He led his fingers down his neck and across his shoulders. A nervous smile graced his lips as he realized he wasn’t dead. He pressed both hands against his chest. He could feel the loud thumping of his heart. He grinned and threw his hands in the air, falling back onto the dry sand.

“I’m alive! It was just a horrible dream…” His stomach violently lurched. Sora swiftly rolled over and threw up. It burned his throat but it was just one more reason pointing to the fact that he was alive. Sora groaned; his stomach now satisfyingly empty as he rolled back onto his back and shuffled away from the puke.

He smiled at the cloudless sky, feeling the sunray warm his skin. Sora closed his eyes and dug his fingers into the warm sand. He flicked his fin, expecting to feel the small waves of water gently splash over it but all he felt splash against his fin was more surprisingly dry sand. Sora frowned and carefully sat up, now fully taking notice of where he was. He knew he was on the island Naminé and Kairi often visited. He looked around. To his left was a small wooden shack Kairi once mentioned to him. He shuffled his body over so he could see behind him. There was a small waterfall pouring into a pond or something. Sora couldn’t be too sure because of the short stone wall blocking his view but he was sure it was some small body of water. He turned his body to the right and noticed the wooden dock and several large trees. He looked slightly up and noticed wooden platforms along the trunks of the tree.

“It looks so weird.” Sora said. He only ever looked at the island from the sea. He’d never seen it from on the island itself. Despite the situation he was in, Sora grinned. He leaned forward and dug his fingers into the sand. In any case, Leon would come for him. His Guardian had always said if they ever got separated he should run and hide. He wasn’t sure if it applied to being beached on the island but Sora was in no hurry to enter the sea. Sora wanted to enjoy the feel of completely dry sand some more.

He sure wasn’t going to go anywhere any time soon.

“So you’re finally awake.”

Sora tensed and pulled his hands back. He kept his head down as he glanced over to his right. A pair of bare feet entered his line of vision. He slowly looked up. The feet belonged to a pair of legs which was attached to the body Riku, the silver-haired human he had spotted a while ago from the sea. The image he had burned into his mind held no comparison to the real thing so close to him. For starters, the outfit he wore was different. Riku wore a white button shirt with a blue plaid tie and pants. Sora remembered Riku had been shirtless and since he was so much closer to him, Sora could see his oddly bright blue eyes. Quite possibly as bright as the blue-striped neon fishes we would often swim with sometimes.

“Your eyes are pretty.” Sora said absent mindedly. Riku softly smirked and knelt down beside Sora.

“So you talk.” He said.

Sora eyes widened a bit and he looked away. He really wasn’t suppose to talk to a human but now that the chance presented itself, and with Riku no less, he wasn’t too sure if he should talk or not.

Riku watched him, amused by the merman’s expression. It was so easy to read his face. While Sora mentally debated, Riku looked at the bandages he had wrapped around the merman while he was unconscious. When Riku had dragged his body from the sea, there was a large gash along Sora’s right side near his hips. The shark would’ve left a larger gap along Sora’s side if Riku hadn’t pulled him away at the last second. He managed to stop the heavy flow of blood but, with Sora’s sudden movements when he woke up, it started to bleed again.

“You’re bleeding.” Riku said, poking Sora’s side. Sora flinched, coming back to reality as he looked down at himself. He finally noticed the bandages wrapped tightly around his stomach. He looked over to where Riku’s finger touched and noticed a small spot of blood had bled through.

“Did you save me?” Sora asked, now looking at Riku.

Riku nodded, “I don’t think I would’ve slept well if I hadn’t jumped in. Besides, that monster of a shark was already struggling to drag you back into deeper water.” He said.

“She was on the beach?” Sora asked. Riku shook his head.

“When I jumped in, I think the splash distracted it. A good thing that it turned its head when it did or else you would’ve been dead. She rammed into you and that pushed you into shallow water,” Riku pointed at Sora’s right shoulder. “You’re bruised pretty badly on that side and you have a deep cut over here.” He said and once again pointed to the red spot on near Sora’s hip.

“Thank you,” Sora said. He pressed his palm against the slowly growing red spot. Now that he had time to absorb the situation he was in, his body actually hurt every time he moved. He looked around. He was sure he couldn’t go back into the sea yet. At least not until Leon searched for him. He sighed and closed his eyes. His body was beginning to throb slightly. When he closed his eyes, Sora could feel the waterfall behind him. He opened his eyes and looked at Riku. “Umm, can you help me get there?” He asked, pointing towards the waterfall.

“Sure. Wrap your hands around my neck.” He said. Sora nodded and hesitantly wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck. He could feel Riku’s arm slide against his back and the other arm slide underneath his tail. Sora squealed as Riku lifted him into the air. He yelped and hid his face against Riku’s neck.

It felt weird being carried in the air. When he gently flicked his fin in the air and felt the cool air glide over it instead of water, he laughed. Riku began walking towards the waterfall, taking the steps in the stone wall. Sora closed his eyes and held on tighter. He felt strange but it was a good strange. Sora didn’t notice that Riku had stopped right at the edge. Riku grinned as he suddenly jumped into the shallow pond. The sudden motion made Sora scream and he struggled against Riku’s hold. Sora’s struggling made Riku lose his balance as he landed and they both fell.

Sora quickly sat up, giggling as he flicked his tail underneath the water. The freshwater reach up to his waist and it had different feeling to the sea. He looked over at Riku and quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry,” He said. “Humans normally don’t like to get wet, do they?”

“Its fine but you’re really bleeding now.” He said. Sora looked down and noticed the spot had definitely grown bigger. Riku stood up and took off his shirt, laying it out on the ground to dry for a second time. Sora looked down at himself and sure enough the blood spot had grown larger. He sighed and covered the spot by wrapping his arms around his stomach.

“I can’t do anything without a crystal.” Sora said.

“Why do you need a crystal?” Riku asked, sitting down at the ledge.

“I need to sing to one and then I could use my voice to heal the wound.” Sora said, not caring for the rules at the moment. Riku reached over and grabbed his messenger bag. Sora watched as Riku pulled out a brown sack. He heard various things jangle inside. Riku stood up and walked over to Sora as he handed Sora the bag. Sora took the small bag and slowly opened it. Various gems and crystals gleamed at him. He curiously looked up at Riku.

“Do humans normally have a bag of gems with them?” He asked.

“They do if they want to make extra money at the pawn shop,” Riku said. “Will those do?” He asked.

Sora looked at the bag and spilled the contents into the water. He could see several elemental shards and gems. He sifted through the small pile, able to see the gems perfectly through the clear water. He pushed aside all of the elemental crystals to the side. Sora needed an element free gem. If he poured his voice into an element shard, all he would be able to do with was create a surge of power of the same element as the shard. All that remained were a couple of small diamonds, moonstones, and an adamantite. There was one other gem he hadn’t recognized. It was small; about the size of his palm, maybe smaller. Sora lifted it out of the water and brought it up to eye level. The crystal held a slight blue tinge to it. The surface was also smooth. With just a bit more polishing, it would definitely sparkle brighter.

“Can I use this one?” Sora asked as he set it aside and placed everything else back into the bag. Riku nodded and tied the sack before he threw it towards his shirt. He sat on the ledge near Sora as Sora pressed the gem against his throat, just below his Adam’s apple. He began to move his lips but he didn’t speak. He sang into the crystal.

Riku saw a glimmer of light make the gem sparkle from the inside. The light never stayed one color. It changed as the light grew into a swirling mass of colors. Sora felt lighter than he usually did when he harvested his voice underwater. It always felt like a sucking motion, as if the gem was forcibly pulling his voice into the gem. That was why Sora usually felt tired and sleepy right after harvesting his voice into seven or more different gems. With the gem he found in Riku’s sack, it felt like his voice was becoming a part of the crystal. He sang louder, pouring a whole song into the crystal. Riku obviously had no idea what was happening but he felt the mood in the air become lighter.  Somehow, everything seemed just a little bit brighter and he figured it had something to do with the merman. He couldn’t hear it but he could sense the effect of it.

Sora grinned as he whispered the last words into the crystal. He held it up to eye level and watched the colors swirl peacefully around its crystal confides. Sora glanced down at his bandaged stomach and pulled it off. As the last band of gauze fell away from his stomach he could see the cut clearly. It ran the length of his side, perhaps three inches long and less than an inch wide. One of the shark’s loose teeth must have lodged its way into his flesh when it rammed into Sora. He gingerly ran his finger up and down the wound. Sora held the gem near the wound.

_Heal_ _,_ Sora thought. The crystal slowly glowed and poured a small portion of his magic into the wound. He could feel it lance up the long cut as the wound healed. In a matter of seconds, the only reminder of the wound was a thin pink scar that would disappear in a day or two. He smiled and ran his finger tip along the light scar. He happily looked at Riku and grinned.

“Feeling better?” Riku asked. Sora nodded.

“Yeah.  Thank you, Riku.” Sora said, pleased with the fact he had the chance to speak Riku’s name to him.

“So you know my name?” He asked.

“Is it weird that I do?” Sora asked as he looked at Riku. Riku smiled as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“It’s very weird considering I don’t even know your name.” He said.

“Oh, okay,” Sora said. “I’m Sora.”

“So, why’d the shark attack you, Sora?” Riku asked. Sora looked down at his lap, his fin flickering nervously in the water. Should he talk or just make up a lie? Sora quickly glanced at Riku from underneath his bangs. He found it easy to talk to him, an almost complete stranger. Maybe it was because he was Riku and knew nothing about his status at the Kingdom. He was talking to Sora like his old friends used to talk to him.

“I don’t know,” Sora said as he looked at Riku. To hell with the consequences. “I think it was trying to kidnap me but I don’t know why they would use a shark.”

“You’re important, then?”

Sora nodded, “I think it’s the same as being called a…ummm, prince, I think. Naminé knows more than I do about human terms because she and Kairi are always here. I hope they’re okay.” Sora said. Once the shark gave chase, he couldn’t be too sure if the others got away. He hoped they did. Wakka and Cid were there so any other attackers would’ve been attacked or killed and the girls would’ve been safely taken back to the palace. Sora groaned and looked out to the sea. He was sure they were safe. Cid and Wakka wouldn’t have let them get hurt.

“You were attacked in a group?”

“Yeah but I don’t want to talk about that. I’m sure Kairi and Naminé are safe,” Sora said as he looked back at Riku. He had a nice physique. Riku was muscular in a lean way, similar to Leon.  The sun had dried Riku’s skin and the sunlight made Riku’s hair seem more silver. Again, he looked into Riku’s sharp blue eyes. It clashed well with his hair. “Riku, can I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.” Riku said.

“You don’t live on this island, do you?” He asked. It was a completely harmless question coming from a purely innocent face that Riku had to look away as a snort of laughter escaped him. His shoulders shook as he laughed. He grinned and looked back at Sora.

“That’s right. I’m the Wildman of this island.”

“Really?” Sora asked, causing another fit of laughter from Riku. Sora merely stared in confusion as he looked at Riku until it clicked in his head.

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” Sora said. Riku smiled and stood up as he walked over to Sora and sat down in front of him.

“Don’t worry. I tease just about everyone else.” Riku said.

“You’re getting wet.” Sora said. Riku shrugged and looked at Sora.

“Are there any other questions?” Riku asked. Sora smiled. He had plenty of questions.

 

\------

 

“It’s getting late.” Riku said.

The sky had taken on a red glow above their heads. Near the horizon across the sea, streaks of orange, yellow, and red followed the descending sun. Sora nodded and stared at the waterfall. They had talked for hours, Riku doing most of the talking as Sora asked him question after question. He’d grown attached to Riku within those hours. Half of his mind wanted to stay longer but the other half was worried. Night was coming and Leon hadn’t found him. Did they even begin the search? He was getting sleepy. Maybe he had sung a bit too enthusiastically into his crystal.

“You’re nervous?” Riku asked.

“It’s getting dark,” Sora said. If he looked straight up, he could see the brightest of stars already shimmering in the darkening red sky. “I’ve never been on the surface and I haven’t spent the night either.”

“Are you going back to the sea?” Riku asked.

Sora shook his head, “I can’t until Leon finds me. Umm, Can you not leave tonight?” Sora asked. He blushed when Riku looked at him with a curious look. “I-I can’t sleep alone and…and well, you shouldn’t abandon your guests.” Riku smirked as he looked at Sora.

“So, you’re my guest?” Riku asked.

Sora nodded, “Please?”

Riku smiled and ruffled Sora’s hair. He stood up, his pants completely soaked and his toes most likely wrinkled from being in the water for so long. “Alright. It’s getting cold so we’ll have to stay in that shack over there,” Riku said, pointing to the shack near them. He knelt beside Sora as the merman wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck. “Do you need the water to breath?” He asked.

“No.” Sora said as Riku lifted him in his arms. He closed his eyes and held on tighter as he felt Riku walk. The second time being carried didn’t feel as nauseating as the first but it still made him a little queasy. It was a short walk and when he heard something shut behind him, Sora opened his eyes. They were inside the shack which was considerably warmer than the cold night. He noticed several bags on one side of the shack and thick blankets piled on the other side. In front of him, he saw a stone staircase. Riku had said it led to the stone platform near them that connected a wooden pathway to the smaller island holding the Paopu tree.

“You said you didn’t live on the island.” Sora said as Riku set him down on a thick blanket. Sora watched as Riku pulled out a pair of dry plaid slacks from one of the bags.

“I don’t but it’s a nice getaway from my roommates.” He said. He walked into the open stone entrance, far enough in to change into dry pants.

“Is it the one that plays the sitar?” Sora asked as Riku walked back into the shack with dry pants. He grabbed three more blankets. Riku used one blanket to lay out next to Sora and the other two to cover them. He threw one on top of Sora and quickly crossed the shack to pull out a plain t-shirt from another bag. He pulled it on and sat down beside Sora.

“No but Axel puts him to good use just to annoy me.” Riku said with a slight growl.

“What does he do to annoy you?” Sora asked.

“He thinks it ‘funny’ to wake me up at 5 in the morning with Demyx playing that damn sitar.” Riku said, this time with a definite grumble.

“Is he a bad player?” Sora asked, stifling a yawn.

“He is at five in the morning.” Riku said. Sora chuckled and another yawn escaped him. He tried to resist sleep but Riku’s body was so much warmer than the blanket covering him. He snuggled closer to Riku, oblivious to human customs, and wrapped his right arm around Riku’s left arm. Sora rested his head against Riku’s shoulder.

“You’re a kind human.” Sora mumbled before he fell asleep.

 

\------

 

When Sora woke up in the morning, the first thing he realized was that he was alone. He was alert instantly, completely skipping the lethargic mood after waking. He clearly remembered last night, the long conversations they had and the move into the shack. He knew where he was. He just didn’t know or liked that he was now alone. Sora fought down the panic but he was in a new environment. He shivered, despite being warm.

“Riku?” Sora called out. He could hear the tremble in his voice. He flinched when the door knob jangled then relaxed when he saw Riku step into the shack.

“Good morning, Sora.” He said, offering Sora a hint of a smile.

“Good morning to you too,” Sora said, offering his own sunny smile. “Umm, can you take me back to the pond?” Sora asked.

“Hold on.” Riku said as he knelt beside Sora. Sora grabbed the crystal and wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck once again. With this, Sora realized he liked being carried by Riku. As usual, he closed his eyes and pressed his face against Riku’s neck. It helped against the queasiness in his stomach.  “Since you interrogated me yesterday, I think today is my turn.” Riku said.

“Okay,” Sora said. He open one eye and looked around. The sky was incredibly blue, lighter than he would normally see. Like yesterday, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. He felt Riku climb the short stairs when Riku suddenly stopped. Sora lifted his head from Riku’s chest and looked where Riku was looking at. He smiled when he saw Leon emerging from the sea. He could feel Riku tense up, holding Sora tighter as Leon continued to walk through the shallow water. Cid emerged a few feet behind Leon. They both wore human pants, Leon a tight black leather pants and Cid with a simple blue shorts. He saw the blade unsheathed and became confused.

“Put him down, human!” Leon shouted. Riku only held on tighter to Sora. At the sight of the Leon’s blade, he instinctively wanted to hold his own blade but he didn’t have it with him. Sora quickly glared at Leon.

“Be nice, Leon. He saved my life.” Sora said. Leon ignored him, concentrating solely on Riku. Behind him, Cid unhooked his spear from his belt. Riku smirked as he slowly climbed down the stairs.

“If I don’t, what will you do?” Riku asked. Leon scowled. He braced his legs against the sand and suddenly ran towards Riku. Before Riku had time to react, he found Leon inches away and the blade pressed against his throat. Riku glanced down at the blade before he glared at Leon.

“Leon, didn’t you hear me? Riku _helped_ me so put your blade away.” Sora said. Again, Leon ignored him.

“Cid, grab him.” Leon said. Sora looked behind Leon and saw Cid hook his spear back on his belt and walked towards them. Sora quickly looked back at Leon.

“Leon, he was helping me. I can’t exactly _walk_ so he was taking me to the pond by the waterfall.” Leon didn’t even glance at Sora as he tried to explain the situation to Leon. With the amount of tension between Leon and Riku, he was sure they would’ve fought if it the advantage hadn’t been so one-sided. As Cid neared, Sora gave Leon a pleading look.

“ _Please put you blade away!_ ”

Sora clenched the crystal in his hand and held it against his stomach as Cid pulled Sora away from Riku’s arms. Even with Sora now being taken a safe distance from Riku, Leon didn’t yield his blade. Sora hadn’t expected he would be taken back to the sea in such a tense and ugly way. He held back angry tears as he tried to look back at Riku. Cid blocked his attempts, securely keeping Sora in his arms. Sora’s throat burned as he became angrier. He clenched the crystal harder, feeling the few jagged points dig into his palm.

“Riku, I’m sorry,” He shouted. “I’m going to repay for your kindness so…so don’t forget me!” As Cid walked through the shallow sea and into the growing depth, the crystal orb held by his necklace glowed. When he dove into the sea with Sora, the human clothes vanished and his legs formed back into his original tail. On the beach, once Leon heard the splash he withdrew his blade from Riku’s neck and ran towards the ocean without one word being said to Riku.

When Leon disappeared into the sea, Riku sighed and his legs buckled underneath him. He frowned as he felt his neck. He ran a fingertip along where the blade touched his neck. He pulled his finger back and saw that the fingertip was smeared in blood.

“He’s a tough bastard,” Riku said as he looked at the sea. He licked his fingertip clean and stood back up on his feet. “I won’t forget you, Sora.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

Cid held Sora tightly as he descended into the ocean. Sora was silent, anger still boiling just underneath his skin. He desperately wanted to swim away but Cid held a firm grip on him. There was no way Sora could escape without hurting himself in the process, at least, not with Cid.

How could Leon do that? Riku did nothing but help him. Sora’s Guardian was completely unjustified in pulling out his blade on Riku. And the more Sora thought about it, the more frustrated he became at Leon. He sighed and looked down at his palm. They were red but that was all. The crystal Riku gave him didn’t have many sharp points that could break through skin. Looking at the crystal, Sora became even more agitated at Leon; so agitated that Sora didn’t notice Leon quietly swim next to Cid. They exchanged a look and suddenly Sora was in the arms of Leon. He looked up from his crystal, noticing the arms around his chest had changed to a slightly darker skin tone. He tilted his head back, looking up at the chin of Leon.

“Don’t touch me!”

Sora immediately began to struggle. Leon held on tighter as Sora struggled harder. His tail violently lashed out, leaving several red welts around Leon’s waist. Sora didn’t care if he hurt Leon. Right now, he didn’t want to be near him.

“Sora.”

“No!” Sora ignored him and continued to thrash against Leon’s arms. Leon sighed and looked above. They were a good distance away from the surface and almost near the Palace. He released Sora and watched him rapidly swim out of Leon’s reach. Sora turned around and faced Leon; his eyes slightly red around the corners.

“Why did you ignore me? I told you he was helping me.” Sora asked.

“He shouldn’t have touched you.” Leon said.

“It’s called being helpful and that was what he was doing!”

“Sora, he’s a human.” Leon said calmly. When Leon said that, Sora wanted to throw something, anything, at his head. Yes, Riku was a human but he was kind and helpful and that was all Sora cared about.

“I don’t give a damn what he is!” Sora shouted. Leon quickly glanced at Cid who had looked away at the very moment with a guilty grin. Leon rolled his eyes and looked back at Sora. He hadn’t seen Sora this angry in months. His hands were balled up into clenched fists and he looked like he was hold back angry tears. The situation had clear upset the young Pincoy.

“Alright,” Leon said, wanting to end this quickly. “I’m sorry.”

“Liar! You don’t mean it.” Sora knew he was saying the words Sora wanted to hear just to placate him. If anything, it only made Sora more upset. He glared at him as Leon slowly swam towards him. There was no way Sora was accepting his half-felt apology. When Leon reached out and touched his shoulder, Sora growled and smacked his hand away.

“You can take your half-assed apology and choke on it!” Sora yelled as he swam off towards the palace. Leon watched him go, a sigh escaping his lips. Cid drifted over to Leon and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“That squirt can throw a pretty cute tantrum.” Cid said with a chuckle.

“Try not to swear around him, Cid.”

As Sora reached the title holder’s section of the Palace, he swam to his room and was immediately tackled by Kairi and Naminé. He momentarily forgot his anger as his two dear friends hugged him tightly. He smiled and hugged them both, glad to see they were both unharmed. Naminé and Kairi fussed over him, examining him from head to fin. When Kairi found the light scar on Sora’s stomach, she began firing question after question. Sora smiled and backed away, swimming towards his bed as he sat down.

“Where’s Roxas?” He asked.

“Over here.” Sora looked up and saw Roxas swim from the connecting waterway to the cavern above. He smiled in relief, glad to see no one was seriously hurt.

“So tell us,” Kairi said as she sat down beside Sora. “What happened?”

“And where did you get that crystal?” Naminé asked as she took the other side. Sora nodded and looked at Roxas.

“Can you not tell Leon about what I’m about to say?” He asked.

“You’re actually keeping a secret from Leon? And why I haven’t been told of this?” Roxas said, sitting on the bed opposite of Sora. Sora chuckled as he nodded.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell you and I’m mad at that blade-totting blockhead.”

“You’re genuinely mad at him?” Kairi said. “Oh, this is going to be good.” Naminé nodded along with Kairi, eager for the story.

“What’s your secret?” Roxas asked.

“Sora has a human.” Kairi said to Roxas.

“I do _not_ have a human,” Sora mumbled as he looked down at his lap. He blushed which made Kairi giggle more. “But I did get to talk to him.” Kairi stopped giggling, her eyes slowly widening.

“I’m still lost.” Roxas said.

Sora sighed and smiled nervously, “Riku. He saved me yesterday.” He took a deep breath and began retelling the event.

\-----

“Where the hell were you?” Axel asked as soon as Riku walked into the room.

Per usual, Riku ignored his roommate. He threw his bag on the floor by the foot of his bed, took off his shirt, and collapsed face-down on to his bed. He was beyond tired, possibly near the point of exhaustion. Riku hadn’t slept last night. He couldn’t. Sora had an alluring pull to him that made Riku not want to sleep. He spent the whole night staring at the merman, at Sora. He spent part of the night feeling the heat from Sora’s hand holding on tightly to his own hand. The rest of the night Riku had carefully slipped out, although, it took awhile. Sora had an amazingly tight hold on his hand. Once he was free, he stepped out hoping the cold air could calm him but it didn’t. He couldn’t exactly explain it, why he felt so compelled to want Sora. Maybe it was the fact that Sora was incredibly beautiful. More stunning than the mermaid he had talked to the other day.

So he had hoped Axel wouldn’t be in, so he could finally get some sleep but, lo and behold, he was. Riku groaned into his pillow.

“Earth to Riku, wake up.” Axel said as he poked Riku’s head. Riku growled and swatted Axel’s hand away.

“Go to hell.” Riku mumbled, willfully wishing Axel away. Axel smirked and quickly climbed on to Riku’s bed. He sat on Riku’s back, straddling him as he pinned Riku’s arm down just as he began struggling.

“Now that I have your undivided attention, tell me where you were for the last twelve odd hours.” Axel said. Riku turned his head to the side.

“Why do you care?” Riku asked, slightly peeved.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the fact that you suddenly called me in the morning yesterday and told me to make up some excuse for you in class. Then you seemingly fall off the face of the earth only to reappear again,” Axel said. “As for your excuse, I told the professor you ate a bad taco and would be shitting bricks all day.”

“You are an ass.” Riku mumbled.

Axel smirked and smacked Riku’s back, “Love you too babe. Now, are you going to tell me or will I have to sit here until you do?” Riku growled as he rolled over. It threw Axel off balance and he fell with a loud thud on the floor. Riku rolled off his bed, glaring at Axel before he grabbed his thick bed cover and walked out the room.

Axel hastily stood up and ran to the door as he watched Riku walk down the hallway and stop two doors to their left. Riku knocked and a few second later the door opened. Riku walked in without a word. Axel heard shouting and swearing. A moment later Tidus was kicked out of his room. He stared in shock as Riku slammed the door and locked it. Axel began to laugh loudly, holding on to the door frame. Tidus kicked his door in anger and walked over to Axel.

“What the hell was that for?!”

“I don’t know yet but I’ll find out soon.” Axel said, still chuckling. He closed the door to his room and jogged down the hallway with Tidus following behind him. He opened the door to the last room without knocking. Demyx never locked his room. He barged in, finding Demyx in the process of pulling on his boxers. Demyx fumbled back in surprise, tripping over his legs in the process.

“The door was closed for a reason!” Demyx shouted as he pulled on his boxers.

“Doors also have locks which you never use. An unlocked door is the same as an open door. Now hurry up, get dressed, and grab your sitar.”

\-----

“So, you’re really mad at him.” Roxas asked Sora as he entered the coral reef garden he was in. Sora looked behind him as Roxas stopped a few feet from the burnet in mild amusement. There were several octopi on Sora’s arms and torso. Sora giggled whenever one of them moved their tentacles. Roxas chuckled at the sight as a dull red octopus slowly climbed up his neck and rested on top of Sora’s head.

“Of course I’m still mad,” Sora said. “He was a jerk.” Roxas swam towards an octopus-covered Sora and sat on a boulder nearby.

“It’s his job.” Roxas said.

Sora huffed and glared at Roxas, “It doesn’t entitle him to be a complete jerk.” A few of the octopi on Sora’s body changed colors to a vibrant red. Sora chuckled when he saw it and gently touched their bulbous heads.

“Either way, it’s funny. I don’t think you’ve ever been so mad at him in a long time,” Roxas said. “When was the last time…maybe when you were six? Leon wouldn’t let you out the Palace so you freaked and got angry at him. You vowed to never talk to him. Ten minutes later, you were talking his ear off.” Sora quickly swam towards Roxas, holding out an octopus in his hands. Roxas quickly reeled back. He wasn’t the biggest fan of the octopus.

“Choose your words carefully or I’ll tell her to squirt you with a face full of ink.” Sora threatened.

Roxas blinked at the octopus and glanced at Sora. The octopus on his head had its tentacles draped over Sora’s head. It looked like a silly misshapen crown. Roxas looked away as he began laughing loudly.

“Your threat means nothing when you have an octopus crown.” Roxas pointed out. In retort, Sora stuck his tongue out at him. He swam away and gently spoke to the octopi in the ancient language. One by one, they left. The last one to leave was the octopus on his head. Sora smiled warmly as he held it in his hands. He gently spoke to it as it finally swam off to the coral reefs. Roxas swam towards Sora and examined his torso. There were light circular marks all around his torso and arms from the tentacles. The one octopus left a suction mark right on the middle of his forehead. Roxas grinned and gently pressed his thumb to the center of the mark.

“He left a mark, didn’t he?” Sora said, rubbing his forehead.

“Yep,” Roxas said. “What are you doing here anyways, besides completely ignoring your Guardian?” Roxas asked, taking his hand away. Sora’s smile faded as he suddenly remembered why he needed the comfort of the octopi. He frowned and hugged Roxas. Roxas wrapped his arms around Sora, comforting him as he knew best.

“I told Wakka if he could kill the shark.” Sora said quietly.

“The Great White that attacked you?” Roxas asked. Sora nodded into Roxas’s chest.

“I went to visit her, to see if I could help her. When she was chasing me yesterday, I couldn’t reach out to her. The Palace soldiers had her jaw bound shut and tethered to a chain that allowed her to swim in one of the large cells. Even after I calmed her down, I couldn’t feel her. Her mind was blank.”

Sora held Roxas tighter. As a Pincoy, Sora held a more intimate connection with all sea life: predator and prey. From the terrifying sharks that even a few mermen feared to the sea slug. To him, they were an extended family so it hurt him personally to be unable to reach out to the shark and to only see the damage of what the attacker had done to her.

“Wakka wields magic so he can kill her painlessly.” The brunet whispered.

“The king has already issued an investigation. We’ll find out who ordered the attack and what they did to the shark,” Roxas said. Sora nodded into his chest, unwilling to let go. “For now, let’s get your mind off this.”

“How?” Sora mumbled.

“Well, I was issued my crystal while you and that human Riku were chatting it up. I need practice with walking on human legs.” Sora finally loosened his hold around Roxas’s. He sniffed loudly as the gloomy look on his face slowly disappeared, replaced by curiosity.

“Where is it?” Sora asked.

“It’s in my room. It’s an official Guardian crystal too, so it looks incredibly cool!” Roxas said excitably. Sora slowly smiled and followed Roxas as they swam out of the garden together.

“What color?”

“A clear diamond encased in silver. I can clearly see the power swirl in it. It’s…pretty.” Roxas mumbled the last part. Sora chuckled and held onto Roxas’s hand.

“Appreciate it, okay? It takes me a whole day to pour my voice into a Guardian’s necklace. Diamond isn’t easy to sing to.” Sora said, with just a hint of pride.

“Why a diamond if it’s so hard to sing into?” Roxas asked.

“Diamonds are the hardest gems. It won’t be easy to break and that’s a good thing for Guardians.”

“Hmm, aren’t you a know-it-all.” Roxas teased.

“You would too if you paid any attention to Cid.”

“Cid makes a scary teacher and mentor. I don’t have to be a highly intelligent Guardian to know when things seem suspicious. It’s all common knowledge.” Roxas boasted. Sora laughed and released Roxas’s hand, playfully tapping Roxas’s tail with his fin.

“Let’s see if ‘common knowledge’ can help you walk on legs.” Sora teased, swimming on ahead to one of the caverns.

\-----

“Is common knowledge helping you at all?” Sora asked with a playful smirk.

He sat on the ledge of the water entrance, his tail dipped in the water. Roxas was on the ground in the middle of the cavern. He wore the necklace and had his human legs. When he stood up for the first time, Roxas fell. When he stood up for the second time and tried to move his left leg, he fell again. When Roxas stood up for the third time, he shouted and ran a full two feet before fell flat on his face. His legs were covered in bruises from his many attempts to walk. Roxas looked behind him, giving Sora the stink eye as looked down at his legs.

“How the hell do humans walk on these things?!”

“They’re born that way, Roxy.”

“So they walk as soon as they are born?” Roxas asked. Sora furrowed his brow in thought. He had as much knowledge of humans as Roxas did. Cid would know more as well as Kairi and Naminé. All Sora knew about humans was basic stuff: appearance and a little bit of how they lived.

“Umm…I think they don’t walk at all when they’re born.” Roxas looked back again at Sora with a bland look.

“You’re not exactly helping.” Roxas said with a sigh. He concentrated as he slowly stood up, using his arms to balance on his feet. Behind him, he could hear Sora snicker. He ignored it and straightened his back, standing on wobbly legs. Roxas groaned in frustration as he held out his arms in front of him. He jerked his left leg forward. He moved his right leg in the same motion.

“When Kairi and Naminé first tried their legs, they used the wall for support.” Sora said. Roxas quickly turned around, almost tripping over his own feet as he glared at Sora.

“Couldn’t you tell me that before I tried to walk in the middle of the cavern?!”

“I thought it would be funnier,” Sora said innocently. He batted his eyelashes at Roxas in a teasing matter. Roxas growled and slowly walked towards the wall in the same jerky motion. The brunet giggled. It was funny to see Roxas try to walk but the thing that made him giggle like crazy was the sex organ flopping around. “I didn’t know the human sex organ was on the outside.”

Roxas stopped and grinned as he looked down at his crotch.

“Well, it makes sense, I think. Why would they need a cloaca?” Roxas asked. “If ours were out and about like this, it would be difficult to swim real fast.” He stood still and gently swayed his hips back and forth, making the organ bounce around.

“Does it feel weird?” Sora asked. Roxas shook his head.

“It feels kind of natural. It’s not really bothering me.” Roxas said and continued his jerky walk to the wall. They both failed to notice Cid walk in from the land entrance. He had an extra cloth in his hands and carried two long and thick wooden sticks.

“What the hell are you doing?” He bellowed. Roxas jumped in surprise, turning around too fast for his new legs. He tripped, adding more bruises to them. Roxas groaned in pain and glared at Cid.

“Dammit! Your voice echoes in the cavern! Keep it down!” Roxas yelled. He slowly stood back up and looked down at his legs. They were starting to hurt. “I’m practicing how to walk on human legs.” Cid looked at Roxas’s bruised legs. A smirk curled his lips.

“I see you’ve got it down-pact.” Cid sarcastically said as he walked towards Roxas. Cid handed the spare cloth to Roxas who took it. He didn’t know why he needed it.

“What’s this for?” Roxas asked.

“Humans have this thing called _Modesty_. You can’t walk around on the surface bare-assed,” Cid said. Roxas nodded and tied the cloth around his waist.

“Get going, Sora. I have to train Roxas and I can guarantee you it won’t be pretty.” He said.

“What? Here?” Roxas asked.

“Damn right we’re gonna train here. As a Guardian, you’ll need to know how to fight in the sea and on land.” Cid said, standing up. Roxas scowled at Cid as he took a wobbly step forward.

“Don’t I have to get used to these legs first?” He asked. Cid smirked and tossed one of the sticks at Roxas, who luckily caught it. It was just the same weight as his blade, maybe a bit lighter. He looked down at the stick he held in disbelief then back at Cid.

“This makes better practice and you’ll learn how to use your legs at the same time. Get ready!” Cid said as he slowly walked towards Roxas. Roxas gulped and hurriedly turned around as he tried to walk away in the same jerky motion only faster. Sora silently chuckled as he reluctantly dove under. He swam out of the waterway and into the main hall.

“Good Evening, Pincoy,” One of the soldiers in the Palace greeted Sora. “Where is your Guardian?”

“I don’t know but I’m sure he’s around,” Sora said, looking around. Leon never left him alone. He was sure Leon was watching him at a distance. He waved goodbye and aimlessly swam away. As he drifted about, Sora thought of Riku.

Everything Riku told him about himself and the place he lived in sounded like an interesting place. He wasn’t too sure what a college was or why Riku was in one but it sounded fun. He wanted to see him again, to talk but Riku didn’t live on the tiny island and Sora couldn’t walk. Even if by some miracle, they could see each other again, all they could do was stay in one spot. Sora looked at his fin. Regardless of anything else, Sora would always love his tail but he sometimes wished he could walk. His own magic wouldn’t let him. Without a proper crystal to help maintain the flow, he couldn’t even attempt to split his tail into human legs.

Almost immediately, Sora stopped in thought. Sora could identify all types of gems expect for the one Riku gave him yesterday. It even had a different feel to it when he held it in his hands and he could easily sing into it without getting tired. That had to mean something. Sora grinned as an idea formed in his mind. He swam back the way he came, rushing past the soldier as he turned the corner and collided into someone. Sora stumbled back, mostly in surprise as he looked at the person he collided with.

“Sora--”

“Don’t say anything, I don’t care now,” Sora said hurriedly to Leon. “It was your job, blah blah blah, sorry.  I have to go, later!” Sora swam around Leon and hurried to his room without a second glance to Leon. He had already forgotten about his anger towards Leon as the idea played with his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

For the next few days, Sora searched for a perfect cavern.

Since the attack happened, Kairi and Naminé weren’t allowed on the surface. That left a lot of free time and he didn’t want to say anything yet. He wasn’t even sure if the idea would work. The palace was a big place with many waterways and caverns that were still unexplored. He intently searched the palace, communicating with many different sea creatures. Leon followed discreetly but Sora was aware so he didn’t go exploring for the caverns themselves until he had found the right one from the fishes.

And he did find one from the eels. It was near the palace, in one of the shallow trenches. The waterway led to an underground cave, mostly all ground with a narrow water entrance big enough for Sora to slip through. The reason for its abandonment by the mermen was the large infestation off eels in the waterway leading to the underground cave. It was no problem for Sora but a hassle for anyone else.

It was perfect for what Sora had in mind but the only real problem would be sneaking out of the palace while he, Kairi, and Naminé were under the watchful eyes of their Guardians.

\-----

Sora couldn’t escape without needing a distraction.

He hoped he wouldn’t have to but with the investigation still going on about the attack and with an upcoming session of harvesting his voice, it was now or never. Sora swam to the coral reef garden and drifted towards the reefs. He took a deep breath in and softly sang. Leon stayed by the entrance as usual, thinking Sora was going to be busy with the sea creatures for a while. Not a minute after Sora began singing; a swarm of octopi surrounded him. Sora could feel Leon’s stare but he didn’t stop until they could cover him from head to fin. He smiled at the gentle swarm that swam around his body. He grinned and sang his plan to them. He nodded once he was finished and let the large swarm of octopi completely engulf his body.

“Sora?” Leon called out.

“Sorry Leon,” Sora whispered to himself. “I have to do this.”

At once, the swarm of octopi swam out of the garden, making sure they had Sora completely engulfed. Leon stumbled back in surprise and looked in the garden. Sora was gone. Quickly realizing what Sora was doing, he chased after the swarm as the octopi swam out of the title holder’s section and into the main palace. Several guards looked at the body of octopi in surprise and curiosity.

“After them,” Leon shouted. “They have Sora!”

The palace guards quickly left their post in pursuit of the octopi. In the middle of the swarm, Sora swam as fast as he could. Several octopi were stuck to his chest, to better mask Sora within the group. Even his tail was completely covered which made it a bit difficult to swim faster without hurting them. He could hear the commotion as the guards gave chase but the octopi were close the entrance of the palace. Sora slowed down with the group as the swarm hurtled passed mermaids who were coming into the palace. A second later, Leon shot past them, almost colliding into a young merman. He pulled out his blade from the sheath hooked on the belt he wore.

“Okay, do it now.” Sora said to his eight-armed friends. The swarm suddenly stopped in front of the trench that held the way to the cavern and they all squirted their ink-like substance. It quickly formed into an expanding black cloud. The octopi dispersed as Sora dove into one of the trenches using the black cloud as a cover. He swam all the way down and entered through a narrow waterway.

“Sora!” Leon shouted from somewhere above. Sora ignored his call as he followed the relatively straight path. He swam further in until he couldn’t hear the Leon calling his name. The tunnel took a sharp turn upwards and led into another, wider waterway. Sora looked around and noticed all the eels that swam by. He grinned once he realized he made it. One eel swam up to Sora, his unknown gem in the eel’s mouth.

“Thank you so much.” Sora said as he held out his hand. The eel dropped the gem into his hand and swam off. Sora had fitted the crystal into a silver cage-like casing that surrounded his gem. He untied the string around his neck, slipped the gem on through the loop, tied it again, and then he followed the path until the amount of eels decreased. Sora stopped at a fork and took the right one as instructed. The tunnel reached an upwards incline and Sora could see the entrance to the cave. He whooped loudly and surfaced.

The cave was small but wide enough for Sora to practice. He hoisted himself to the edge and lifted his tail out of the water. He placed it onto the ground and for a few seconds Sora stared at his light blue tail. He gathered his nerves as he closed his eyes and tapped into the magic that swirled within his gem.

At once, he felt the magic course through his body. It wrapped around his tail in an odd tickling but comforting sensation. Sora wanted to look but was scared. He never spilt his tail into human legs before and even though the process was painless, it was probably best if he didn’t look. When he felt the magic fade away, he covered his eyes with his hands and peeked though his fingers.

His tail was gone. In its place was a pair of human legs.

Sora slowly lowered his hands and touched his thigh. He leaned forward and ran his hands down his legs, over his knees and then slowly back to his thighs. He giggled nervously and stared at his feet. When he attempted to move his feet, his toes wiggled. Sora grinned and wiggled them again.

“I did it!”

He slowly lurched forward until he was on his knees and hands. With very shaky legs, Sora lifted his hips in the air so that the bottom of his feet touched the ground. He spread his legs apart and used the wall to help himself stand up straight. His legs were trembling and he was a little bit scared but since he already sneaked out the palace, he might as well stay in the cave until he could walk as well as Kairi or Naminé. He could deal with the consequences later.

For now, he had to learn how to walk.

\------

“What the hell is he thinking?” Leon growled, pacing back and forth at the palace entrance. Since Sora’s escape, Cid sent out four teams of three soldiers to search for him. Wakka led one group, Cid another, and Roxas was with Leon. Kairi and Naminé were close by with Leon, Roxas, and a handful of soldiers around them.

“Leon, you’re going to pop a vein.” Roxas said.

“Did he say anything to you?” Leon asked, ignoring Roxas’s attempt at calming him down. There was no way he could even think about calming down with Sora gone…again. This time he couldn’t tell if it was better or worse since Sora had voluntarily ran away.

“He said nothing. He was strangely quiet for the past few days but I thought he was just sulking because of the lock down the King had imposed on him.” Roxas said.

“Really?” Kairi said. “I just saw him talk to the fishes a lot.”

“He always does that,” Naminé said. “Usually when he’s deep in thought.”

“I should’ve picked up on it.” Leon said, continuing his steady pace.

“There’s no way you could’ve known what he was thinking. I’m sure he’ll come back.” Kairi said, swimming towards Leon.

“This time I’ll tie him up.” Leon mumbled. Kairi sighed and swam back towards Naminé. They waited silently as each group that came back reported nothing and were sent back out to a different area. Naminé and Kairi had fallen asleep, leaning against each other as Wakka’s group came in. Wakka glanced over at the girls before he pulled Leon away.

“We have trouble.”  Wakka said.

“Is it Sora?” Leon asked. Wakka shook his head, and looked around.

“How many soldiers have reported back?”  He asked.

“Yours and the other one I sent out. Most of the soldiers are still here,” Leon said. “Why?”

A shout from outside the palace entrance caught Leon’s attention. He saw Cid racing towards the palace, his spear drawn and the tip bloodied. His nerves immediately stood to attention as he drew his own blade. Cid had left with five soldiers. There was no one with him as he returned. The soldiers all stood alert as Cid quickly swam in.

“Dammit! Find me the spell casters and have them place a barrier around the palace.” Cid shouted.

Several soldiers swam off at his instruction. His loud voice startled Naminé and Kairi from their nap. They woke up to the sounds of a low buzz of whispers. Wakka swam over to the girls to explain to them about the sudden commotion.

“What the hell is going on?” Leon asked.

“They’ve gotten feisty,” Cid said. “Our _friends_ from the East have decided to make their move.”

“They really did pick a nice time to attack.” Leon said, more in annoyance than anger. “Alright, I guess we have to deal with this first before we can continue to look for Sora.”

“What?!” Roxas shouted. Until now, he had stayed silent expect for the occasionally remark at calming Leon down. Next to Kairi and Naminé, he was greatly concerned about Sora. But hearing Leon suddenly switching his plans away from Sora surprised him. “We still haven’t found Sora!”

“I’m sure he’s safer wherever he is.” Leon said.

“How can you be sure?! I thought you were thinking about Sora.” Roxas yelled.

“I am thinking about him. The sooner this battle is over, the sooner we can continue searching for him.” Leon said and turned back to Cid as they continued to talk about strategy. Roxas looked at him in disbelief. He swam back to the wall he was previously leaning on and grabbed his blade. Without another word, he quickly swam out of the palace, ignoring the shouts from Cid and Leon as he focused on finding his friend.

\------

“This wasn’t too bad.” Sora said.

At first, he had fallen numerous times when he attempted to walk without the walls support. His legs looked just as bruised as Roxas’s did when he first used legs but after a couple of hours he finally got the hang of it. He sat at the entrance to the cave, his legs dipped in the cold sea water. The salt water stung the few open bruises he had but it was soothing at the same time. He was in no hurry to get back to the Palace. No doubt Leon would probably never let him out of his sight but it was worth it. Sora glanced down at the crystal and held it in his hands.

“I should go back now.” Sora said. He covered his eyes again as he concentrated on the swirl of magic in the crystal. This time, it was almost instantaneously. He felt the magic course through his legs and when he peeked through his fingers, he saw his familiar light blue tail again. Sora smiled and pushed himself into the water. With a little hum, he slowly swam through the passageway, taking a different route from before. It wasn’t long before he was out of the waterway and into the trench but he hesitated. It was quiet. Way too quiet.

He couldn’t see any fishes swimming around. Normally, trenches, even the shallow ones, would be full of activity. Not even the eels had shown up. Sora frowned in thought as he cautiously swam around. He was focused on finding at least one fish that he didn’t sense the approaching merman. He was grabbed from behind, a hand placed over his mouth as he was dragged deeper in to the trench and into a waterway. Sora struggled, frantically thrashing his tail and repeatedly smacked his fin against the attacker’s hips.

“Damn, Sora! That hurts!” Sora immediately stopped. He was released and quickly turned around. His captor was Roxas; now sporting a few thick welts on his hips.

“You shouldn’t have snuck up behind me then,” Sora replied. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there.”

Roxas nodded, “We’re under attack.”

“What about--”

Roxas cut him off, “Kairi and Naminé are safe. Wakka took them away before the attackers arrived at the Palace. I just have to get you far away from here.” Roxas grabbed Sora’s arm and pulled him further away from the entrance. Roxas inched forward and looked above him from the entrance. He couldn’t hear or see anything but he knew the battle was already happening and not being able to hear anything put him at a disadvantage. He moved away and looked back at Sora.

“Does this waterway lead anywhere away from here?” Roxas asked.

“I don’t know,” Sora said with a shrug. “The eels only told me how to get into the cave.”

“Cave? You do know Leon will never let you out of his sight again.”

“I’ll think of something.” Sora said as he swam into the tunnel. Roxas followed him. He wasn’t at all familiar with the tunnels underneath the Palace so he relied on Sora.

“Do you know where we’re going?” Roxas asked.

“Back to the cave I was in,” Sora said. “I know there was a land entrance on the other side.” He quickly sped up, the trip back to the cave much shorter. Sora surfaced first, hoisting himself onto the edge and lifting his tail out of the water so Roxas could surface as well. Roxas lifted himself out of the water.

“Good, there’s an exit over there.” Roxas touched his crystal as the familiar surge of magic coursed through his tail. Sora grinned and quickly concentrated on his own crystal. The surge of magic coursed around his own tail as an instant later, he had his human legs again. Roxas lifted his legs out of the water and stood up.

“I’ll have to carry…you?” Roxas stopped and stared at Sora. “When…how….unbelievable.”

Sora smiled and walked over to Roxas, “I thought we were looking for a way out.” Sora grabbed Roxas hand and began leading Roxas towards the other exit. He looked back and saw that Roxas was still staring at him, his eyes running up and down Sora’s lithe body.

“Since when did you learn…?”

“Today, Roxas. That’s why I had to sneak out,” Sora said. “I’m good at this walking, right?” He added.

“Leon is definitely going to pop a vein.” Roxas said with a grin.

“I won’t show him.” Sora mumbled. In the cave, Sora had no sense of direction. He just followed the path out before him until they hit a fork in the path. Sora stopped and looked at both paths. He glanced towards Roxas.

“Who attacked the Palace?” Sora asked.

“The same one we’ve been trying to persuade into a treaty. Don’t worry about it,” Roxas said once he saw the concerned look on Sora’s face. “They may be as advance as us when it comes to technology but they don’t have your power.”

Roxas lead the way, taking the path to their right. Sora remained quiet as they hurriedly ran through the tunnel. Leon and the others always tried to keep them out of the affairs between other kingdoms but Sora always found someone who would tell him. And they all involved him in some way or the other. Sora sighed and clutched Roxas’s hand harder.

He didn’t know how long they kept running. Sometimes they walked, other times they ran, but Roxas never stopped moving. It wasn’t until Sora heard the sea that he suddenly stopped. Roxas almost tripped when Sora suddenly stopped but he managed to balance himself.

“What is it?” Roxas asked, turning to look at him.

“I think…we’re above sea level.” Sora pulled his hand away and walked towards the cave wall. He pressed his ear against the wall and listened. Sora could hear the sound of waves crashing against the other side. Sora smiled and pulled away. He began to jog along the wall, keeping his hand running parallel against it. Roxas followed. Occasionally Sora would stop to hear the waves from the other side. As they went further in, the louder the waves sounded through the wall. While Sora was concentrated on that, Roxas noticed a gentle breeze flowing into the cave.

“Sora, I think you found a way out!” Roxas ran ahead of him. Sora moved away from the tunnel wall and followed. The exit wasn’t too far away from where they were. Sora grinned as he headed towards the light. For a quick second, he had to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun but as soon as he felt the mist from the crashing waves, he grinned. They ended up at the entrance of a cove, the opening just a few feet from the sea. He could see Destiny Island not too far from where they were.

“How long do you think we were in there?” Sora asked, looking behind him at the damp cave.

“Long enough to never want to walk inside a cave again,” He said. “Maybe we should head back.”

“Maybe…” Sora looked down at his legs and wiggled his toes. He was sure Leon was never going to let him go again. Sora slowly nodded and walked to edge of the small cliff. He bent his legs and jumped in, surfacing back up as he waited for Roxas. While he waited, Sora noticed the fins of several dolphins bob in and out of the surface. Sora swam further into the sea. Behind him, Roxas jumped in with a loud splash. Sora dove underneath and saw Roxas turn his legs back into his tail. Sora did the same and was happy to see his tail again after such a long time.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Sora asked.

“I don’t know but we should play it safe.” Roxas said as he swam around. Sora didn’t follow him as he quickly whispered a song to the dolphins. It didn’t take them long to notice him. When Roxas noticed Sora wasn’t following him, he stopped swimming and turned around. “Sora?”

“I’m sorry, Roxas but…I can’t go back.” Sora said.

“Sora, what are you talking about?” Roxas asked.

“I don’t know. I really don’t but if I don’t do this I know I’ll regret this.”

Roxas frowned as he tried to make sense of what Sora was saying, “You’re still not making sense? Is it because of that human?”

“He isn’t any human!” Sora shouted. “You’re sounding like Leon, Roxas. I can’t go back. Please understand.”

Roxas shook his head. “I won’t understand,” He said coldly. “It’s like you’re choosing him over everyone else.”

Sora sighed and smiled sadly, “I didn’t think you would.” Before Roxas could say anything else, a school of dolphins rushed in front of Sora. As they swam away, Sora was gone. Roxas looked at the leaving pack of dolphins and noticed Sora clinging to the dorsal fin of one of them. Roxas didn’t chase after him. He couldn’t even swim as fast as a dolphin. Instead he unsheathed his blade and swam towards the bottom of the sea, thinking the battle wouldn’t compare to the fierce face of Leon when he would tell them what happened.

\------

Sora thanked the dolphins as they left him near the sandy beach of Destiny Island. He swam close enough that his tail brushed against the bottom of the shallow ground. For the third time today, Sora concentrated as he directed the magic in his crystal towards his tail. A quick and painless moment later, Sora stood up and wadded through the shallow water until the waves lapped against his ankles.

He looked around the empty beach. He had hoped Riku would be there as he always was, practicing with his sword, but not today it seemed. Sora sighed and moved on, walking towards the little waterfall. He climbed up the small steps and stopped at the ledge of the small pond. Instead of jumping, Sora sat down on the edge, dipped his feet into the water, and then slowly lowered himself in. The fresh water felt cool against his skin and he braced his arm on the ledge around the pond, resting his head on his folded arms.

“Will you be here today, Riku?” Sora said to himself as he closed his eyes from the sudden exhaustion that fell on him.

\------

“What the hell are we doing here anyway?” Axel asked as he tied the boat to the dock as Riku stepped out.

“I’m just paying you back for what you said as my excuse in class the other day.” Riku said.

“Prick,” Axel mumbled. “I could be sleeping.” Axel whined as he followed after Riku.

“That’s why you’re here instead.” Riku said. Axel sighed and stretched his hands above his head.

“You’re worse than Zexion when you get mad.” Axel said. Riku ignored him as he walked across the beach. He didn’t really mean to but Riku looked towards the sea. It was always a habit of his but these days he looked out of a necessity.

“Hey, I think I see someone.” Axel said. Riku followed his gaze towards the waterfall. The sun was setting so it had cast an orange glow on the land but he could make out dark mahogany hair on the ledge of the pond. Immediately Riku ran towards the waterfall. He quickly jumped in and pulled the cold body away from the ledge. At first, he was confused. It was definitely Sora. Only the body had legs. Riku cradled Sora against his body, deciding he would worry about the legs later. Axel caught up to him, confusion written all over his face.

“Who’s that?” Axel asked. Riku slipped his other arm beneath Sora’s knee and lifted him up. He stood up and passed Sora on to Axel as he climbed out of the pond. “Alright, I’ll just stay confused.” Axel said as he looked at Sora.

“Let’s go.” Riku said as he made his way to the boat.

“I think this is kidnapping.” Axel said.

“Just hurry.” Riku said. He ran ahead to untie the boat from the dock. Axel looked down at his arms. Even with his eyes closed, Axel could tell the person he was carrying was beautiful. Whoever it was he was helping kidnap, it had to be someone important. Riku held the boat steady as Axel stepped in with Sora. He grabbed the quilt that was on one of the seat on the boat and pulled it over Sora’s naked body. Riku threw the thick rope in and pushed the wooden boat out to sea then quickly jumped in as the boat drifted further away from the shallow water. He took Sora from Axel’s arms and handed over the oars.

“Can I at least have a name and maybe a description of some kind?” Axel said as he began steering the boat towards the main island.

“His name is Sora. He’s a merman.”


	7. Chapter 7

“…I’m…inside?”

Sora blinked, lying completely still on something incredible soft. The ceiling he was staring at wasn’t made of stone. He rolled over to his side, clutching the soft sheet in his hand as he slowly sat up.

He was very confused. He was in a room when he was pretty sure he had been sleeping outside. Sora examined the room.

There was another bed opposite of the one he was on. Sora shifted his legs over and let them dangle off the edge as he leaned forward towards the window between the beds. He could see the ocean but it looked so far away and from what he could tell, much lower. Sora frowned and looked back at the room. There seemed to be two of everything: desks, drawer, and a pair of closet. He gingerly placed his feet on the carpeted floor and stood up. The comforter used to cover his naked body slid down. He took a step forward and immediately fell on wobbly legs.

“I guess I need more practice.”

Sora grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled himself up, sitting back down. He closed his eyes and thought. He was in a strange room with no memory of remembering how he got there. He clearly remembered escaping from Roxas by using the help of the dolphins. He was also sure he had surfaced and walked over to the pond and waterfall where he had spent a whole day with Riku. Sora remembered waiting then nothing after that. His hand found the crystal still hanging around his neck as he gave it a gentle squeeze. Panic had slowly started to set it in but he relaxed a bit when he held the gem. Not knowing what to do, Sora pulled his feet up, tucking his legs underneath his body. He moved away from the edge and crawled towards the end of the bed. The desk next to the bed had various books on it. He grabbed one of the books and pulled it onto his lap.

He flipped through the book, looking at various pictures of the human body then moved it aside. He moved closer to the desk and grabbed a square frame near the edge. He smiled when he saw Riku within the frame. He was surrounded by a group of people. He remembered Riku telling him of his roommate, Axel, and Sora figured from the description, the tall, lanky one next to Riku had to be him. They were all smiling except for Riku who looked like he didn’t want to be in the picture at all.

“So that means Riku must’ve found me,” Sora said. “But where is he?” His ears perked up as he heard the doorknob jingle. His natural instinct told him to hide but he had nowhere to hide and if Riku had brought him to this room, Sora didn’t want to hide. Instead he clutched the crystal and watched the door open.

\------

“Axel, hurry up and open the door.” Riku said with a glare.

Axel grinned and slid the key into the tiny slot on the doorknob, taking his time.  It’s been a day since Riku had taken Sora from the other island. He had been worried because in that time Sora hadn’t woken up. He would’ve stayed with Sora if Axel hadn’t threatened that he wouldn’t share his notes from class with him.

“I’m sure he’s still asleep, Riku.” Axel said. “It’ll be one hell of a coincidence if he woke up during the one moment you were gone.” Riku said nothing. Axel shrugged and opened the door. He stepped in, snickered, and moved aside for Riku.

Sora was up and awake on Riku’s bed, the sheets barely covering his lap. Sora had his eyes closed, his hands clutching on to his gem tightly. When nothing dramatic happened, Sora slowly opened one of his eyes.  As soon as Sora saw Riku, he smiled widely.

“Riku!” He scrambled off the bed in haste. He half-stumbled, half-ran towards Riku and flung his arms around Riku’s neck. Riku blinked in surprised, instinctively wrapping his arms around Sora’s slim waist.

“I guess it _is_ one hell of a coincidence.” Axel said as he walked past Riku.

“So you _are_ Sora.” Riku said, looking down at Sora.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sora asked.

“You have legs.” Riku said. Sora nodded and moved away from Riku, letting his arms slip away from Riku’s neck.

“Yeah and I think I can walk pretty well now,” Sora said. “But I need more practice.” Riku nodded while keeping his eye off of Sora’s body. He could hear Axel chuckling to himself over by his bed. Sora looked behind him at Axel then back at Riku “Riku?”

“You’re naked.” He said, still looking away. Sora looked down at his body.

“Oh, that’s right. Humans have modesty when it comes to the naked body.” Sora said. He softly gasped when he felt a sheet cover his head. He pulled the sheet off his head and wrapped it around his body as he saw Axel returning to his bed.

“It’s not modesty Riku’s worried about.” Axel said. Riku glared at Axel and ignored that comment as he led Sora back to his bed.

“What does he mean?” Sora asked Riku. Axel suddenly began laughing loudly.

“Ignore that idiot,” He said. “How did you get legs?” Riku asked. He went to his drawer in search of old clothes that might fit Sora.

“I was able to split my tail thanks to the crystal you let me have.” Sora said.

“Sounds painful.” Axel commented.

“It does but it actually wasn’t. The only painful part had to be learning how to walk.” Sora said. Riku found an old pair of cotton pajamas, too small to fit him anymore but probably big enough to fit Sora loosely. He handed the set to Sora. Sora looked at the button down shirt, slipping it on easily but he gave the pants a curious look. He looked up at Riku, the question in his blue eyes.

“My legs go through these holes, right?” Sora asked. Riku nodded and quickly turned around when Sora stood up. He stood in front of Sora to block Axel’s view as well. Sora sat back down and reached out, tugging the back of Riku’s shirt. “Can I stay here?”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to spend more time with you but I knew Leon wouldn’t let me so I had to run away. Is that okay?”

_It’s more than okay_ , Riku thought.

Riku smiled and sat down beside Sora. “Yeah, you can stay.” Sora grinned and tackled Riku into a hug. Sora was nervous that Riku would’ve said no and that he would have to go back but he wasn’t. “First of all, are you okay?” Riku asked.

“Yeah, why?” Sora asked.

“When Riku found you, you’re body was ice cold and you’ve been asleep for a full day.” Axel said. Sora furrowed his brow in thought.

“But I was in the water so…I shouldn’t have been so cold,” Sora looked down at his legs. “Maybe I turn completely human when I have legs.”

“In that case, humans can’t stay too long in water. We get cold and sick.” Riku said. Axel stood up, walking over to Sora. He grinned and grabbed Sora’s hand, gently pulling him away from Riku. Riku merely gave Axel an annoyed look, which Axel completely ignored but let Axel pull Sora up to his feet

“You must be hungry from having gone a whole day without eating.” Axel said. “I know I’m already tired of looking at this room. Let’s go out, eat, and we’ll show you the grand tour of our college.”

\------

When Roxas returned to the palace, the battle was already over. Dead bodies from the rivaling kingdom littered the sea ground around the palace. Several soldiers were pushing the bodies into the various trenches, letting the creatures of the deep sea have their fill. Roxas tried to look away but the sight was everywhere so he hurriedly swam into the palace. Inside was much better. It seemed that the attacking force had been stopped before they could even invade the palace. Roxas swam around, noticing several wounded soldiers been nursed by the healers.

“Roxas! You’re okay!” Kairi shouted. She swam over to him and gave him a big hug. Roxas smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said. “How did it go?”

“We don’t know since Wakka hid us but thanks to Cid’s warning, the soldiers were able to prepare quickly.” Kairi said, slowly swimming to a nearby wounded soldier. Roxas followed and watched as she pressed her palms against the soldier’s torso and healed an open cut along his chest.

“Where’s Naminé?” He asked.

“She’s helping the healers with the more injured soldiers. I can only heal flesh wounds like these.” She moved back as the soldier ran his hands down his healed chest, only a light scar remained.

“Thank you, Pincoya.” He said with a bow. Kairi smiled and moved on to the next wounded soldier.

“Where’s Leon?” Roxas tentatively asked. Kairi looked away from the soldier she was healing. She noticed the tension in his voice.

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“He won’t like what I’m about to report,” He said quietly. “Just tell me where he is so I can quickly get it over with.” Kairi nodded with a concerned look.

“He’s in the throne room with Wakka and Cid.”

“Thanks Kairi.” Roxas said as he swam off, leaving her to other wounded soldiers. While on his way to the throne room, located in the only tower the Palace had, Roxas tried to figure out how he should say it.

Obviously, Leon wouldn’t like it. Neither would the other Guardians for the sole reason that Sora was alone and unprotected. Roxas knew better than anyone else how naïve Sora was and it wasn’t that he was actually ignorant. Sora just had a natural urge to trust everyone. It would be easy for anyone to manipulate that trust.

He stopped at the entrance of the tower, waiting as the guard verified him. The tower housed all the important documents of the kingdom along with the throne room. Once cleared, Roxas made his way in and immediately spotted Leon. Roxas stopped, contemplating whether he should continue or not. Fortunately, that was already decided as Leon spotted him.

“Roxas, where’s Sora?” Leon asked swimming over to him.

Roxas took a deep breath before he answered, “I don’t know. I wasn’t able to find him.” Roxas flinched as Leon cursed, obscenely enough to make Cid proud. Roxas backed away from Leon and looked away, feeling a little bit guilty.

_I don’t know how much time I bought you, Sora, but you better enjoy it. You might not ever be able to surface again when they do find you_ , Roxas thought to himself as he slipped away.

\------

“Riku, the pictures are speaking.” Sora said, looking up at the TV. After another rummage through Riku’s drawer he couldn’t find anything reasonable for Sora to wear besides the pajamas. So he and Axel raided Tidus’s room, his physique was similar to Sora’s, until they found a pair of jean shorts and a black vest that fit Sora well. Afterwards Riku and Axel had taken Sora to the cafeteria to eat.

On the way to the cafeteria, Sora stared at everything. His head never stopped swiveling around; so much to the point that Riku thought Sora’s head might fall off. Sora certainly enjoyed himself by just walking to the cafeteria. When they had arrived, Sora’s attention was completely taken by the various TVs mounted from the ceiling.

“What do TVs do?” Sora asked when they sat down with their food.

“They’re there to make time go by faster.” Axel said, grabbing a French fry.

“They hold magic?” Sora asked, taking another look at the TV.

“He doesn’t mean that in the literal sense,” Riku said. “They don’t really hold magic.”

“I don’t quite get it but it’s fascinating,” Sora said. He looked around the wide and spacious room, unable to really focus on just one thing before he settled on the food in front of him. Riku and Axel had picked the food. Sora never seen human food before but it smelled wonderful. He tentatively reached for a fry, sniffing it in curiosity before he took a bite. Riku watched, holding back his laugh, unlike Axel who promptly laughed out loud at Sora’s many facial expressions whenever he saw something new to him…which was everything.

“How do you like it?” Riku asked.

“I like them.” Sora said, aiming a smile at Riku. Riku smiled back and gave Sora his batch of fries. Sora happily began to eat the fries.

“He reminds me of a puppy.” Axel said.

“Why are you torturing me like this?” Riku mumbled.

Axel grinned and feigned ignorance, “What do you mean?”

“Shouldn’t you be annoying someone else?” Riku asked.

“Maybe but he’s interesting,” Axel braced his elbows on the table, leaning towards Riku. “I can already tell what you want to do. Being your roommate for the past two years has given me the special ability to see through that cold face of yours.” Riku sucked his teeth in annoyance as he watched Axel smirk.

“Riku.”

Riku looked away from Axel, focusing back on Sora. The small paper tray that held the fries was empty. Sora gave him a sheepish grin before he asked, “Can I have more?” Riku chuckled and gave Sora his own tray of fries along with his soda. Sora resumed eating away the fries, now giving the fizzing soda a curious look. He turned back to Axel, giving him a peeved look.

“I’ll buy you lunch for a week.” Riku said.

“Make it a month.” Axel countered.

“I’ll buy you lunch for a week plus two assignments for physics.” Riku countered back, striking at Axel’s weak point. Axel hated any type of science and, unfortunately for him, physics was a required class.

“Deal.” Axel said as he stood up. The movement caught Sora’s attention and he looked up from the opening of the soda to look at Axel with questioning eyes.

“I have to get going. We’ll see each later, Sora.” Axel said. Sora nodded and waved goodbye, gulping down the soda.

“Let’s go too,” Riku said, standing up as well. “There’s more to see than just the cafeteria.”

“Okay.” Sora watched as Riku grabbed the second paper tray onto his tray. Once the table was cleared and the trash thrown away, Riku led Sora outside.

It was around noon, the sun shining brightly in the sky above. Riku walked with him along a winding stone path. Riku had called the place they were at the quad. Sora looked at everything, observing several other people, some laying on the grass with friends and others playing with a flat disc that they tossed at each other. Sora quickly glanced at Riku. His hair seemed shinier in the light, more platinum than silver but still a beautiful contrast with his sharp blue eyes. When Riku caught Sora staring at him, Sora blushed and quickly looked away. Riku smiled as he watched Sora continue to walk along the edge of the path.

“So the crystal I gave you was able to give you legs?” Riku asked.

“Yeah,” Sora said. He stopped walking and turned around, holding the gem for Riku to see. “I still don’t know what type of crystal it is but when I sing into it, it doesn’t tire me out. The crystal easily accepts my voice.”

“You sing into it?” Riku asked.

Sora nodded, “I’m the Pincoy. My voice is precious to my people.” He quickly thought of Leon and the others, wondering if they were already searching for him. Sora shook the thought away.

“How is your voice precious?” Riku said.

“It becomes powerful when I sing in the ancient language,” Sora looked around the quad and pointed towards a large oak tree. “Can we sit over there?”

“Alright.” Riku said as he walked beside Sora. As they began walking together, Sora quickly looked at Riku and very shyly held Riku’s hand. Sora nervously waited, unsure if holding another’s person hand was acceptable by human standards. Riku gently squeezed back; letting Sora know it was okay. Sora breathed a sigh in relief and relaxed. Riku sat down against the wide trunk of the tree. Sora sat beside him, taking back Riku’s hand.

“Why did you run away?” Riku asked, voicing the one question he had been thinking about since Sora woke up. He could feel Sora tense up, the merman clutching Riku’s hand tighter.

“I wanted to see you again. I don’t know why Leon and the others didn’t want me to meet with humans. Naminé is the Sirena and Kairi the Pincoya yet they’re allowed to interact with humans.”

“The names sound like royalty.” Riku said.

“Only Naminé is a true princess. She’s the daughter of our king. Kairi is the princess representing all the mermaids and I’m the prince representing the mermen.” Sora said.

“What does Naminé represent?” Riku asked.

“A unity between royalty and the common mermaids and mermen. That’s why we’re usually moved into the palace as soon as we’re given our titles.” Sora said.

“And when is that?” Riku asked. Sora looked over at Riku.

“You’re asking a lot of questions.”  He said.

“It’s only fair since you practically buried me in questions when we first met.” Riku said.

“I did not,” Sora said with a slight huff. “…did I?”

“Yeah, you did.” Riku said. “Besides, I want to hear more about you.” He smiled at Sora, knowing it would get him to blush. As expected, Sora looked away from Riku, the blush consuming his cheeks. It was easy to get him to blush and Riku liked the way Sora turned red.

“O-okay,” Sora mumbled before he lifted his eyes towards Riku. “The title is usually given with our seventh birthday, that’s when the natural magic in us is ready to use. Kairi and Naminé are able to use magic without the aid of anything else. That’s how they were given their titles.”

“What about yours?” Riku asked.

“As soon as I was born I was given the title of Pincoy. It’s only natural since I am an actual Pincoy.”

“How is that different from a normal merman?”

“A normal merman can’t sing in the ancient language. It’s even more unusual for me because the last known Pincoy died about 200 hundred years ago. Since I was able to speak and sing in the ancient language, I was immediately moved to the palace for secure protection,” A shout caught Sora’s attention. He looked away from their clasped hand. He saw the same group playing with the disc. “Riku, what are they doing?” He said, pointing to the group.

“It’s called Frisbee and it’s the most pointless game ever created.” Riku said.

“Is that how humans have fun?” Sora asked. He looked back at the group. He noticed one of them laugh loudly as he chased after the flying disc. He was definitely faster and the only one without a shirt on. He was clearly having fun, catching the disc in mid-air. Riku watched Sora, feeling just a pang of jealously. He leaned close to Sora and whispered close to Sora’s ear.

“I’m not done asking questions.” He softly said into Sora’s ear. He could literally feel Sora turn red. Riku leaned back against the tree’s trunk, satisfied that he had Sora’s full attention again. Sora looked at Riku with his wide eyes. Riku’s voice had tickled his ear, sending a sharp but pleasant shiver jolt along his spine. He looked down at their clasped hand, unable to hold Riku’s gaze.

“Ask away.” Sora said with a shy smile tugging at his lips.

\------

“I’ve never seen you so careful before.” Axel said as Riku walked in to their room with Sora in his arms. Just as Sora had asked him a million questions, Riku asked Sora about everything. They talked long into the afternoon. Then Riku paid for Sora’s lunch afterwards, taking the conversation back into the cafeteria when it became too chilly. By the time it was ten, Sora was already nodding to sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open and had repeatedly apologized to Riku. Riku had ignored that and pulled Sora’s towards him, letting the smaller boy lean against Riku until he had fallen asleep. Riku now ignored Axel as he walked over to his bed and laid Sora down on it. The gem in the silver cage casing on Sora’s necklace shimmered.

“Do you realize he’s practically worshipped?” Riku said as he pulled the covers over Sora’s body then he sat down on the edge.

“In mermaid land?” Axel said, putting down the psychology textbook he was reading.

Riku nodded, “Apparently, he’s a prince and the last of his kind who can speak in their ancient language.”

“So…basically you’re screwed,” Axel said. “If he’s that important to them, they’ll definitely come looking for him.”

“Like I care,” Riku said as he looked at Sora’s sleeping face. “I’m not going to let him go that easily again.”

Axel chuckled as he leaned back against his bed, “Well, Mr. Possessive, you’ll have to let him go tomorrow. I’m going to show him how we have fun and he’s already been around you for a whole day.  Your cynical mood might rub off him.”

“What are you planning?”

Axel shrugged, “A little this and that. You have no say in it since you’ll be busy all morning long with classes. You, unlike me, care about all of your classes,” Axel closed his textbook and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, standing up. “I’m going out so don’t lock the door.”

“Where’s your copy?”

“That asshole Marluxia took it away just to annoy me. Just because he’s the R.A, he thinks he has absolute power. I’ll show him power by shoving my foot up his…” The rest was muffled as Axel closed the door behind. Riku couldn’t help but chuckle. He stood up and took his clothes off, down to just his boxer. He crossed the room and turned off the lights. The dim moonlight streamed through the window between the beds, providing the only source of light. He looked at his bed, with Sora on it, and for a second wondered if he should join him or not. He quickly threw the thought away with a shrug of his shoulders. As soon as Riku lay beside him, Sora curled towards Riku’s body, his hand instinctively reaching for Riku’s.


	8. Chapter 8

“ _Psst._ Sora.”

Sora, already on the verge of waking up, turned to his side, away from Riku as Axel gently shook him. He mumbled softly and reluctantly opened his eyes. Axel grinned as he pressed his finger against his lips. He leaned over and pulled Sora away from Riku’s bed, carrying him off and transferring the sleepy merman over to his own bed. Sora yawned as Axel set him down. He looked out the window between the beds. It had to be early morning; the sun was just starting to climb over the sea’s horizon. The sky around the rising sun was tinged in a soft red light with a few streaks of vibrant blue breaking through. The creaking sound of the door opening brought Sora’s attention back to the room.

“What’re you doing?” Sora asked sleepily as he watched another person walk into the room. He carried two black boxes with a wire connecting them in his arms. He stopped when he noticed Sora intently staring at him.

“Axel, who’s he?”

Axel walked in behind Demyx, carrying an electric guitar. “Demyx, that’s Sora. Sora, say hello to Demyx. Now hurry up and place those amps around his head.” Axel said.

“You’re going to die if you keep doing this.” Demyx said as he carefully placed the small amps near Riku’s head.

“I’m taking you down too,” Axel said as he handed the guitar to Demyx. “Besides, this is for Sora.”

“It is?” Sora asked.

“You’re about to see one of many sides of Riku.” Axel said.

He stood and pulled off the thick headphones around Demyx’s neck. He went back to Sora and placed the headphones over Sora’s ears. “Keep your hands over them.” Axel said. Sora mimicked him, placing his hands over his covered ears. Axel nodded then glanced back at Demyx.

Demyx grinned and as he plugged a cable from the guitar to one of the amps. He flexed his fingers and placed three fingers on different strings on the fret. He raised his free hand and quickly strummed his fingers down all six strings. A loud screech erupted from the amps. Sora felt the very sound travel through his body. Riku jerked awake, wildly looking around the room in confusion and panic until he saw Demyx. A growl escaped him as another screech erupted from the speakers. Riku grabbed one of the amps just as a third screech blasted through them. Demyx laughed and dodged the amp Riku had thrown. He quickly ran out the door while laughing wildly.

He glared at the door, one smashed amp by the threshold and the other one on the floor. When he heard Axel’s laugh, his attention immediately focused on him. No matter how many times Axel and Demyx woke Riku up with the guitar; it never got old to them. Riku narrowed his eyes at Axel.

“What the _fuck_ is wrong with you!?”

“This was all for Sora.” Axel said, still chuckling madly.

Finally remembering Sora, Riku looked around the room. He was too consumed with the thought of murdering Demyx that he hadn’t realized Sora wasn’t beside him in bed. After a second, he spotted Sora on Axel’s bed. He was pressed against the wall and curled up with his hands over the headphones. Riku hopped onto Axel’s bed and swiftly kicked Axel off before he went to Sora.

“Sora?”

Sora didn’t hear him. When the first metallic screech erupted from the amps, Sora had flinched hard. Even though his ears were muffled he could still hear it and the loud noise scared the life out of him. At the second screech, Sora had pressed himself against the wall and covered his ears as he tried his best to block the noise. Riku grabbed Sora’s hand and pulled them away, which was surprisingly difficult as Sora had an iron tight hold over his ears. Riku eventually pried Sora’s hand away and managed to uncover one of Sora’s ears.

“Sora,” He said again. This time Sora looked up. “Are you okay?” He asked. Sora could feel his heart madly thumping at the bottom of his throat. He was still in mild shock. Riku was starting to get concerned until Sora spoke.

“That sounded like a pod of tone deaf whales!” Sora said, noticing that Demyx was gone with the screeching contraption. There was a moment of utter silence. Suddenly, Axel began laughing loudly. Even Riku couldn’t help but chuckle. Sora pouted as he looked at Riku. “My ears are ringing.”

“It’ll pass. I can give Axel another kick if you want.” Riku offered.

“Hey!”

Sora shook his head, “No.  Is that how you usually wake up?” Sora asked.

Now it was Riku’s turn to shake his head, “Only when Axel thinks he’s funny.” Riku climbed off Axel’s bed, Sora following behind him.

“I _am_ funny. You just lack a sense of good humor.” Axel said as he stood up from the floor.

“What I lack is a decent roommate.” He grumbled as he went to his closet. Sora watched as he pulled out a towel and his bag of toiletries.

“Where are you going?” Sora asked.

“I’m taking a shower before my classes start.” He replied.

“Can I go with you?” Sora asked him. Riku blushed, his body going tense for a second. Luckily, Riku had his back turned towards him. He knew Sora meant nothing more than just going with him but it didn’t stop him his mind from taking it all the wrong ways.

Axel smirked. He draped his arm around Riku’s shoulder, shit-eating-grin plastered on his face.

“If you even say something, I will end you.” Riku whispered. Axel merely grinned and patted Riku’s back.

“That’s a wonderful idea. I could use a shower myself and I think Sora does too,” Axel said as he went to his closet. He pulled out two towels and threw one to Sora. Riku sighed and said nothing as he left the room. Sora walked up to Axel, with the towel in his arms, staring at Axel.

“Did I say something wrong?” Sora asked.

“No. He’s just a hard man to please. Let’s go. I bet seeing you in the shower ought to cheer his moody self up.” Axel said.

Sora followed him, not quite sure what Axel meant. He didn’t give it much thought as Axel led him down the hallway. He passed by several other doors, all the way towards the end of the hall before Axel turned to the left. He walked up to a plain blue door and entered. Sora followed and immediately walked into a room that echoed. To his left were large gray steel stalls. He walked further in and towards his right, the room expanded into a large rectangle. He cautiously walked in, spotting Axel close by a showerhead and with the towel wrapped around his waist.

“Are you naked?” Sora asked.

“Yep. In here, modesty doesn’t exist so it’s fine perfectly okay to be naked in here.”  Axel said. Sora nodded as he unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it off then shimmied out of his cotton pants. He looked around for Riku and spotted him in an open stall. It was wider than the stalls he had seen coming in and the door was much shorter. Short enough for Sora to see him while at the same time covering his naughty bits from the waist down. Riku leaned against the door.

“Sora, take the stall next to me.” Riku said. Sora nodded, heading to the stall. Riku couldn’t help but take an eye full of Sora. He looked weak but that was because he was small. His body build was slim and from what he could see, which was everything, there wasn’t an inch of flab on the merman. It was toned muscle. Riku groaned softly as he felt himself grow hard.

“Riku?”

“Nothing,” He dismissively said. “Turn the knob towards the red slowly until the water gets warm enough. I’ll hand you the soap once you get in.”

Sora stood in front of the stall, staring at it. He sighed and scratched his head, walking in front of Riku’s stall.

“Can I take a shower with you?”

A few stalls down, Axel barked a laugh.

“That’s not…”

“C’mon, _Riku!_ Show him how to shower so he can learn and do it himself next time. There’s no better way to understand human customs than by experiencing it yourself, right Sora?”

“That makes sense. Can I Riku?”

“Just a moment.” Riku said as he turned on the shower. He twisted the handle towards the cold side until ice cold water cascaded down his body. It did the trick as it went away. He opened his door for Sora, swearing to kill his fire hydrant of a roommate.

\------

After the shower, and another raid of Tidus’s closet, Sora was back in Riku’s room. Sora toyed with the shirt he wore. It was a soft grey vest with a black furred collar. He kept running his hands through the faux fur, amusing himself with the softness and the zipper in front of the vest.

“If you keep doing that, you’ll get your skin caught on the zipper.” Riku said. Sora immediately stopped, leaving the zipper a third of a way open from his neck. He decided to just run his fingers through the fur; deciding that getting a part of his skin caught in the zipper would be painful. It was just the two of them in the room. Axel had told Sora he’ll be right back and Riku was soon going to his classes. Sora stared down at his bare feet, wiggling his toes.

“Are you always busy?” He asked.

“Only on Mondays and Fridays. That’s when I have most of my classes,” Riku walked over to Sora and sat down beside him. “I’ll come find you when I’m done with my classes.”

“Okay,” Sora said. “I’m nervous.”

“It’s okay. Axel may seem like a rude ass, and he is, but he’s a trustworthy guy.”

“I’m hurt that you called me rude.” Axel said as he walked into the room.

“And not ass?” Riku asked.

“I can live with that. Now then, you leave so I can show Sora around.” Axel said. Riku stood up and grabbed his messenger bag.

“I’ll see you later.” Riku said to Sora then he left. Axel clapped his hand once and looked at Sora.

“Alright, let’s go sightseeing.”

\------

Axel took Sora out of the college and into town. He looked at everything, from the local stores to the squirrels he would see. He fired question after question at Axel. It felt like he was in an entirely different world. He wondered if Kairi and Naminé ever felt this amazed by the human world. It still made him wondered why Leon or the others never allowed him to walk on land but he gave it a second of his thoughts. He listened to Axel as he explained the various stores around them. After an hour of aimless walking, Axel led Sora to the park and sat down at the first bench he saw.

“We’ll sit for a moment before we head over to the arcade to meet with Tidus and Demyx,” Axel said. Sora nodded and sat down beside him. He smiled and stretched his arms above his head. The sky was cloudless and a warm breeze made the leaves on the trees softly shake. He lowered his arms and looked over at Axel.

“What is Riku like?” Sora asked.

“Hmm, I think that’s a question I can’t really answer too well.” Axel said.

“Why?”

“I can only tell you one side of him,” Axel said. “What do you think Riku is like?” Axel asked.

“He’s nice. If I could give him a color it’ll be red; warm and strong.”

“I think I’ll give him something like the coldest blue. He can be a jerk but that’s normal for him,” Axel said. “But he’s different when you’re around.”

“Really?”

“I guess he could be a red if you’re around,” Axel said. A gentle breeze brushed past them. Sora smiled and turned his face towards the breeze. Barely a day had passed and Sora was already more than fond with the human world. Sora tucked his neck in and pulled up the furred collar up to his mouth, smiling as it brushed against his cheeks.

“When is Riku going to be done with class?” Sora asked.

“It’s Friday so…at around 1 o’ clock he should be done. Let’s get going to the arcade. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it.” Axel said.

“Okay.” Sora said as he followed Axel back into town.

\------

“Leon’s acting weird.” Kairi said to Naminé as they swam into their room. Wakka stopped at the entrance, standing guard.

“Sora’s missing. Why wouldn’t he act weird?” Naminé said. Kairi shrugged as she fiddled with her necklace.

“I just have this feeling. With the way he’s acting, it feels like he’s been through this before,” Kairi sat down on her bed and looked at Naminé. “Look him in the eye next time you see him and you’ll see what I mean.”

“Alright,” Naminé said. She swam over to a shelf and looked at Sora’s paopu fruit encased once again in a bubble of air. “Maybe he experienced something like this on his last assignment.”

“What do you mean?” Kairi asked. Naminé turned around from the shelf and swam towards Kairi, sitting down beside her.

“Leon’s not originally from our Kingdom. I think he came from the East Kingdom like Cid did. He’s so secretive about his past so I don’t know much but I think he was a Guardian-in-Training while there.”

“Hmm, maybe they were guarding the prince of their Kingdom,” Kairi contemplated. She grinned as she suddenly swam towards the entrance. “C’mon, let’s go see if we can find anything else about this.” Kairi said. Naminé nodded and followed her, quietly whispering to each in case someone might overhear.

\------

By the time Riku was done with his classes, it was already three in the afternoon. His last class of the day ended at one but he took the extra hours to finish up any homework. When Riku had called Axel after he left class, he could barely hear him over the blaring noise of the arcade. What he did pick up from the background was Sora’s laughing. He felt a pang of jealously but calmed down when he told himself he’ll have Sora all to himself in the afternoon. Riku closed his textbook and pushed the chair away from the desk. Riku grabbed his cell phone and dialed Axel’s number. It rang twice before Axel picked up and this time Riku noticed it was relatively quiet.

“Where are you?” He asked.

“Hi to you too. We’re in the Commons. Demyx--” Riku hung up the phone and left the room as he headed downstairs.

The Commons was a large room that made up the first floor of the boys dorm. There was a large TV mounted on the back wall of the room and as Riku walked through the doors, he could hear tell-tell signs that Demyx had hooked up Dance Dance Revolution. He could hear Axel laughing and nearly burst out laughing himself as he saw what was making Axel laugh.

Demyx had also hooked up an extra dance pad and Sora was the one on it. He looked completely lost, merely stomping his foot down on the arrows. He could see the concentrated pout on Sora’s face as he looked at Demyx’s fluid moves. He tried to copy him but Sora merely tripped over his own legs and fell. Axel laughed harder and yelled out encouragements.

“C’mon Sora! Believe in your legs!”

Riku leaned against the wall and watched as Sora get to his feet. “I know you’re teasing me, Axel.” Sora said, glaring straight at Axel.

“I am not,” Axel said. “Look, he’s winning!” Sora’s head whipped back to the TV and he randomly stomped down on the arrows in frustration. Riku laughed out loud, the sight just too much for him. Sora quickly stopped as he turned around in surprise. Riku could see Sora’s eyes light up and it made him feel immensely happy. Sora grinned and waved over at Riku, his face red from either the game or Riku; maybe both. Riku smiled and walked over to the large U-shaped couch in front of the TV. Sora completely forgot about the game as he went to sit beside Riku.

“Hi Riku,” Sora said. “Are your classes done?”

“Yeah, I’m free for the rest of the day.”  Riku said.

“Holy shit,” Demyx yelled. He looked behind him at Riku as the game was adding up his score. “He’s smiling and it’s not at all sarcastic.” Riku glared at Demyx as the blonde laughed. Sora looked at Riku and tugged on Riku’s shirt.

“What are we going to do today?” He asked with his blue eyes concentrated on Riku.

“What indeed?” Axel said, snickering to himself.

“First we’re going to get the hell out of here.” Riku said as he stood up. He grabbed Sora’s hand and led him away. Sora smiled warmly, his eyes on their clasped hands. As much fun as he had with the others, Sora was really glad he could now spend time with Riku.

“Where are we going?” Sora asked. Riku had led him outside. The sun was still high up in the sky, little puffy clouds scattered here and there. They followed a path that led to a large building with a glass ceiling.

“The pool,” Riku said. “It’s closed but I have the key to building so we won’t be disturbed.” Riku said.

“What’s a pool?” Sora asked.

“It’s a place to swim. It’s nowhere near as big as the sea but I figured you might’ve wanted to swim for a while.” Riku said. Sora nodded and felt touched by Riku’s concern. Whatever issue Leon had with humans, it was badly misguided. At least Riku wasn’t like the stories he heard. Neither was Axel, Demyx, or Tidus.

Sora watched as Riku pulled out a small ring of keys from his pocket. He quickly picked out the right key and stuck it in the doorknob. The door clicked and swung open. A gentle draft wafted out and Sora went ahead of Riku. He followed the draft that slipped through the crack of the double-swinging doors. He pushed open and stepped into the indoor pool area.

Beams of sunlight filtered through the glass ceiling. Scattered pillars of light lit up the area they shone on. The pool was a large rectangle, a white diving board at the other end. The water sparkled with the sunlight’s help. Somehow, Sora felt small because the room was spacious. The ceiling was high up, higher than the ceilings in the other building. He walked further in, his footsteps echoing on the tile floor.

He walked to the edge of the pool and crouched down. Sora dipped his fingers in the water, feeling the cool water lap over his fingers. He grinned and without even thinking pulled off his clothes, kicked off his sneakers and dove in. With a splash, he was surrounded by cold water. He touched his necklace and felt his magic course through his body and down his legs, turning them back into his tail. He pumped his tail harder and swam the perimeter of the large pool. He raced back to the surface, popping up in a large splash. He drifted over to Riku, who had his jeans rolled up to his knees with his legs in the water.

“So you like it.” Riku said.

“Yeah, the water feels different but I still like it.” Sora said.

“Sora, what are you going to do if they come looking for you.” Riku suddenly asked. Sora braced his arms on the edge of the pool and rested his head on them.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I don’t want to go. Not by force.”  He wasn’t sure how much time he had left. He nervously flicked his fin the water. Maybe they were looking for him right now. Sora touched the crystal once more as his tail again split in half to form legs. He pulled himself out of the water and grabbed his pants. He pulled them over his still wet legs and sat down beside Riku, pulling his pants up over his knees before he dipped his legs in the water.

“Do you want me to go?” Sora asked.

“No, I don’t.” Riku said. His voice sounded strained. Sora looked over at Riku.

“Riku, can you close your eyes.” Sora asked.

“Why?”

“Just do it, okay?” He said. Riku nodded and went ahead and closed his eyes.

Sora fidgeted and looked down at his hands. Axel did say Riku would like it but he could’ve been teasing him again. Either way, it was worth a shot. He leaned forward, tilted his head up, and pressed his lips against Riku’s. Riku immediately opened his eyes just as Sora pulled away. He could the see the blush on Sora’s face as he glanced away. Riku smirked as the tiny thread of restraint snapped. He pushed Sora down, showing Sora how _he_ kissed. He ran his tongue along Sora’s bottom lip, making him gasp. He smirked again as he slipped his tongue in. A breathy moan escaped the merman.

He felt strange, and what Riku was doing was even stranger, but it felt good, really good. Riku pulled away, letting Sora take a breath. Sora’s face was flushed but he looked happy. Riku brushed back Sora’s wet bangs and kissed him again, a shorter and chaste kiss.

“That’s how you do it.” Riku said.

“With the tongue too?” Sora asked. Riku chuckled and nodded. Now that the restraint had been broken, Riku felt no particular rush to get off of Sora. He still had to hold back because he was sure Sora knew nothing else besides kissing. He would just have to take things slowly but not too slow. Their time was limited and he wanted to form strong enough connections with him. A tug from Sora brought him back. He could see that Sora was blushing even redder than before.

“What is it?” Riku asked. He kept his fingers tangled in Sora’s mahogany hair.

“Um…can you…kiss…me again…?” Sora asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Riku grinned. “With pleasure.” 


	9. Chapter 9

The weekend, for lack of a better word, was interesting for both Riku and Sora.

On Saturday, Riku took Sora away from the college. They spent the whole day together, wandering through the town with nothing but each other’s company. Now that he didn’t have to hold back so much, Sora took every chance he could kissing him. Spending every moment outside, he was glad they could spend time together. At one moment, they took a rest at a secluded spot Riku knew of in the park.

When they sat down against the tree, Sora was on his way to sitting beside him when Riku grabbed his arm. He pulled Sora down and made Sora sit between Riku’s legs. Sora’s heart raced when he felt Riku wrap his arms around his waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. Riku was possessive in the way he held him but Sora liked it. It was a protective possessiveness.

 On Sunday, Axel was able to snatch Sora away from Riku, effectively ruining any plans Riku might have had. Axel did that often, disrupting Riku as much as he could. But while Riku was annoyed, Sora loved it. It was entertaining. Sora was able to completely forget about the worries he had.

\------

“It’s been three days already,” Naminé said, worried.

She was with Kairi, searching through the personal records in the library. They were able to find time to research without falling under any suspicions. Cid and Leon were out, discreetly searching for clues in the other Kingdoms. Wakka was on patrol around the palace so Roxas was with them. It’s not that they didn’t trust Wakka, Cid, or Leon. They would ask questions whereas Roxas wouldn’t really care. “What if he’s not in any of the other Kingdoms?”

“He has to be,” Kairi said, flipping through a large book. “Where else could he be?”

“Maybe he’s with the humans.” Roxas mumbled to himself.

Watching Leon and the others search for Sora while he was actually not that far made Roxas feel a tiny bit guilty. It wasn’t like he wanted to intentionally hold back the information but above all else, Sora was his friend. Seeing that stubborn yet pleading look in Sora’s eyes was more than enough to show him that Sora was serious. He wondered how Sora was doing, if he was happy or not? Roxas sighed and looked at the girls. Naminé was floating in front of the top shelf, skimming through book titles.

“What are you guys doing?” Roxas asked.

“Looking for Leon’s past. He’s been acting funny lately,” Kairi said, flipping through another book. “Haven’t you noticed?”

“Not really. He’s more worked up since Sora’s been gone but other than that, can’t say that I have.”

“Well, we have and we think it has to do with something that happened in the other Kingdom he was in.”  Naminé said. She pulled out a book from the shelf and swam down towards the table where Kairi was to flip through another book.

“If you’re looking for his past, they wouldn’t keep it here.” Roxas casually said. Naminé and Kairi both looked up from the books they were reading.

“What do you mean?” Kairi asked.

“Information on Guardians are kept elsewhere. They wouldn’t keep it in the library.” He said. Kairi and Naminé both exchanged a look before they set their eyes on Roxas again.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Kairi asked.

“I didn’t know you were looking for that,” Roxas said with a shrug. Kairi scowled and swam over to him.

“Where is it?” She asked. Naminé closed her book and took it back to the self.

“Over at the tower. I’ve never been there myself but only Guardians are allowed in.” Kairi suddenly grabbed Roxas’s hand and began hauling him out the library with Naminé right next to her. Roxas let her pull him along. He had no idea why they would want to learn about Leon’s past. He saw no connection between that and Sora being gone. Naminé slowed down and swam beside him, giving Roxas a curious look.

“Roxas, are you okay?” she asked. “You seem out of it.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…” He stopped. Roxas almost let it slip that he was worried over Sora but not for the same reason they were. He stopped swimming, jerking Kairi back with his sudden stop. She looked back at him, about to yell at Roxas when she saw the look on his face. Naminé and Kairi both exchanged a look of concern.

“Roxas?” Naminé said.

He looked beyond them and saw Wakka swimming through the entrance. Roxas was worried about Sora but he didn’t want to say anything yet to everyone else. Without thinking, he suddenly swam past Kairi and Naminé. They looked surprised as he grabbed the white cloth in Wakka’s arm and swam off.

“I need to clear my head!” Roxas yelled, swimming past the entrance. Kairi and Naminé swam towards Wakka as they watched Roxas quickly swim away. Kairi frowned and threw her arms up in frustration.

“First Leon’s acting strange. Now Roxas is acting all weird. Mermen, I swear.” Kairi said as she swam off. Naminé giggled and looked at Wakka, which made her laugh even more.

“What’s wrong with her?” Wakka asked.

“She’s just worried about Sora,” Naminé said. “Say, you know about Leon’s past, right?”

Already swimming fast, Roxas swam faster, aiming towards the surface. He hadn’t thought about why he was going to surface until he was halfway there. As the water rushed over his body, the idea suddenly formed into a thought. He wanted to check on Sora. Three days was more than enough to meet his human. Roxas hoped meeting the human was enough and that he was ready to go back home.

\------

“So you like it here?” Tidus asked Sora.

It was nice day out, the sun warmly shining down with a gentle breeze every now and then. Sora spent the morning with Tidus and Demyx while Riku attended his only class of the day. After that, he spent the afternoon with Riku, Axel, and Tidus before they decided it was about time to eat. Tidus showed him the world of sports and Demyx wasted the morning away by playing with his various guitars.  He looked at Riku and nodded to Tidus’s question. Riku was on line paying for the food. Tidus looked over at where Sora was staring at and grinned. “I still can’t believe you like him.” Tidus said, taking a bite out of his burger.

“Is it strange that I do?” Sora asked.

“Well, I guess not for you but I’ve known him for a long time now. He’s not exactly the lovable type.” Tidus said.

“As opposed to you?” Riku said, standing right behind him. Tidus flinched, covering his head with his hand in case of an incoming blow. Riku smirked and walked towards Sora’s side, sitting beside him. He placed the tray down and handed Sora’s plate of three grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Of course,” Tidus said. “I mean, it’s you. On a scale of lovability, you are slightly higher than Zexion but that’s only by half an inch.” Riku rolled his eyes and handed Sora his soda. Sora smiled and thanked him, taking off the plastic lid from the foam cup.

“Maybe I should ask Selphie what your lovability is.”  Axel said, taking the empty spot next to Tidus. Tidus blushed and closed his mouth as he glared at Axel.

“Hey, I’m tons of fun and twice as lovable as he is,” Tidus said. “Either way, don’t you dare say anything to her.” He added. Axel laughed and gave Tidus a hard pat on his back.

“So why do you like Riku, Sora?” Tidus asked, shifting the conversation back to Sora. By this time, Sora was already on his second grilled cheese sandwich. If there was one thing Sora was certain that he loved, it would have to be the food. “It can’t be because of his charm. He has no charm.”

Sora looked up from his plate at Tidus, “I like everything about him.” Sora said. A smug smile crawled Riku’s lips as he looked at Tidus. “I especially like how he kisses me.”

He took another bite of his sandwich, not noticing the fact that Riku had chocked on his drink. There was a pause, between Axel and Tidus, before they began laughing loudly; drawing the attention of a few other students close by. Sora curiously looked at them, wondering what was so funny. He looked over at Riku with questioning eyes.

“Why are they laughing?” Sora asked.

“Ha! Such a stud!” Axel yelled, going into another fit with Tidus.

“Like I said before, they’re idiots.” Riku said. He smiled and ruffled Sora’s hair. It made him happy to hear Sora say that. He would’ve preferred if he said that while they were alone but common human mannerism was lost on Sora, which was normal considering Sora wasn’t exactly human.

“I said something weird again, didn’t I,” Sora said. He turned towards Riku, mustering up a playful glare. “You have to tell me if I do.”

“It’s fine,” Riku said. He leaned towards Sora again and whispered in his ears, “It’s another charm of yours that I like.” Sora blushed and moved away, covering the ear Riku whispered in with his hand.

Riku’s voice tickled his ears, heating up his skin from the shiver that passed through him. At once, Sora wanted Riku to kiss him again but he resisted the urge. He had a feeling Axel would tease him again. Sitting beside Riku, Sora was physically aware of Riku’s every movement. From the corner of his eyes, he looked at Riku, the slight scowl on his face as he talked to Axel and Tidus. Sora smiled and looked around, his eyes following everything that caught his interest. He gazed over the quad, following different students until he took a double take on one of them.

He was standing by himself, leaning against a lamp post not too far from where Sora sat. He seemed to be waiting for someone as he would constantly look at his cell phone then towards one of the buildings. Sora tilted his head in thought. There was nothing particular striking about him, average height with a shock of blonde hair, but Sora felt a sort of familiarity. Riku poked Sora’s head, bringing his attention from the blonde-haired guy.

“Riku, who is he?” Sora asked, pointing over to the guy.

“That’s Cloud.” Riku said, looking back at Sora.

“Are you friends with him?” He asked. Riku shook his head, wondering what the sudden interest in Cloud was for.

“Cloud isn’t the friendly type,” Tidus said. “I tried talking to him once and all he gave me was a cold look. I think I’ve only seen him talk to that professor. Umm, Sephiroth is his name, I think. Do you know him?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Axel said. “Sora couldn’t know him. He’s only been here for a few days.”

“I don’t know him but I think --”

“Sora!!”

Sora whipped his head around at the familiar voice. His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw and almost didn’t believe it. Roxas walked towards him, wearing nothing more than just the white cloth wrapped around his waist with the loose belt that held his sheathed blade. Roxas smiled and waved at Sora, finally glad that he was able to find him. He wasn’t sure how he was going to find Sora on the main island but once he was on shore, instinct just told him to where to go. Sora smiled and scrambled out of his seat, running full speed towards Roxas. Riku and the others watched as Sora suddenly stopped running, a few feet in front of Roxas. Roxas slowly came to stop, wondering why Sora suddenly stopped. Sora cast a suspicious look at Roxas.

“Why are you here?” Sora asked.

Roxas mockingly frowned, “Jeez, I can’t come see how you’re doing without getting that suspicious look?”

“So…Leon’s not here?”

“No.” Roxas said.

“And you’re not taking me back?” Sora asked.

“I can go back if you want and get Leon.” Roxas took a step back.

“No!” Sora lunged forward and grabbed Roxas’s arm, stopping him. Roxas grinned at Sora.

“To tell the truth, I haven’t told Leon or the others that you’re actually closer than they think,” Roxas said. “They still don’t know but they might once I go back. I sort of left the palace in a rush.”

“Why?” Sora asked.

“I was worried about you.” Roxas said. He pulled Sora closer to him, noticing the stares he was getting from the three humans at the table Sora was sitting at. One of them, Riku, was glaring daggers at him. Roxas smirked and glared at him over Sora’s head before he looked back at Sora. By the way Riku glared at him, Roxas figure out that he was the human that had caught the interest of Sora.

“Someone doesn’t like you.” Axel said, chuckling.

“Well, I don’t like him either. Who the hell is he anyway?” Riku asked, crossing his arms across his chest. That smirk was all Riku needed not to like him.

“I think he’s another merman,” Tidus said. “It makes sense.”

“I call dibs on this one.” Axel said.

“The hell?” Tidus looked at Axel. Axel shrugged and looked at the blonde merman talking to Sora.

“It seems like it’ll be interesting.” He said.

Tidus rolled his eyes as he looked at him, “I think I’ll stick to same-species relationships.”

“The way things seem to be going with Selphie, which is still nonexistent after two years of harboring your crush, I suggest you start thinking outside the box.” Axel said, poking a hole in Tidus’s pride.

“Asshole.” Tidus growled. Riku ignored them as he kept looking at Sora and his visitor. After being convinced that no one else was coming to take him away, Sora finally relaxed and hugged Roxas.

“Is everyone okay? I left at a bad time and I was worried.” Sora said.

“Don’t be,” Roxas said. “We were able to defeat them easily thanks to the advance warning Cid gave us. Kairi and Naminé are fine, so are Leon, Wakka, and Cid. No one died.” Sora smiled warmly; glad to know no one was hurt. He was sure Roxas wouldn’t tell him the reason why they attacked but Sora knew the reason whether they told him or not. It was now past the point that it really affected him but it still made him feel bad that his friends were in danger because of him. He sighed and shook his head of those thoughts; it wasn’t the time or place for such thoughts.

“So, who’s your human?” Roxas asked.

“Riku,” Sora said with a smile. “He’s the one with the silver hair.”

“So, you’re not denying that he’s yours?” Roxas said. Sora quickly blushed, unable to answer that.

“I…I don’t know but we kissed.” Sora said, growing redder by the second. “Do you want to meet him?”

“Not really but I know I’ll have to meet him sooner or later.” Roxas said. Sora grinned and grabbed Roxas’s hand as he led him towards Riku. Immediately, Riku liked him even less if only for the fact that Roxas was holding Sora’s hand. He sighed, mentally berating himself for getting jealous so quickly. Behind him, Axel was chucking, thoroughly enjoying the way Riku was getting jealous. He mumbled something about wanting popcorn, which Riku ignored. Roxas looked at Riku again, catching his eyes. He could already tell Riku didn’t like him. It was glaringly clear.

“Riku, I want you to meet Roxas,” Sora said with a smile. “He’s Axel and that’s Tidus.” Sora said, introducing the others.

“Are you here to take him back?” Riku said, cutting straight to the point.

Roxas stared at him for a moment before he answered, “No. I won’t but someone else will.”

“Is it that other merman, the one with the scar across his nose?” Riku asked Sora.

“He met Leon?” Roxas asked Sora, a bit surprised.

Sora nodded, “Yeah, when Leon came to rescue me.”

“It’s a miracle Leon left him alive.” Roxas said in bewilderment.

“I wasn’t going to let him kill Riku after he helped me survive my first time on the surface,” Sora huffed. He let go of Roxas hand and sat down beside Riku. “Are you going to stay here?”

“No,” Roxas said, shaking his head. “I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

It was partially true. What Roxas had hoped to see was that Sora would want to go back home with him. That maybe Riku wouldn’t be so great to him but that wasn’t the case. He could see that Sora was more than happy and in just a few days too. It wasn’t that Sora wasn’t happy while in the sea, Roxas knew better than anyone else how much Sora loved being in the water with Kairi and the others. Even with Leon and his stubbornness, Roxas had no doubt that Sora loved his home but Roxas had always felt Sora was keeping certain things to himself. Roxas was sure it had to do with him being the Pincoy. He would never understand the burden of being the Pincoy but he knew Sora thought about it often. Now, Sora seemed more relaxed. Roxas scratched his head, bracing one hand against his hip.

“Roxas?”

“…so you’re really going to stay here?” Roxas asked, avoiding Sora’s eyes.

Sora didn’t have a definite answer so he couldn’t reply. He’d never thought further ahead, it would only make him feel hopeless and frustrated. Even if he did have an answer, Sora wouldn’t want to answer. It would make his reality come down crashing around him faster. Sora bit the corner of his lip in thought. He hated seeing that look on Roxas, as if he was losing someone. Sora quickly gave Riku’s hand a quick squeeze before he stood up. He walked and stopped in front of Roxas and Roxas still wouldn’t meet his eyes. Sora sighed and grabbed Roxas’s face, making him look at him.

“Don’t look like that,” Sora said. “Maybe…maybe you can stay here for a few days? The human world isn’t as bad Leon makes it and--”

“ _I’m not going to throw away my responsibilities like you’re doing!_ ” Roxas yelled. He pulled away from Sora. Sora flinched and stepped back, holding his hands to his chest as if Roxas had burned him. Sora wished Roxas hadn’t said that because he was avoiding thinking about that.

Sure, Sora initially wanted to see Riku, to spend time with him but in the back of his mind, he also knew he was just escaping from his duties as the Pincoy. Sora met Roxas eyes and his throat suddenly became dry. The back of his eyes started to burn. In Roxas’s blue eyes, they held no blame or hate, just disappointment.

It would’ve been better if Roxas did hate him, or even blame him. It would’ve hurt a lot less. Sora trembled, the first hiccup escaping his lips. Riku finally decided it was time to intervene. He ignored Roxas completely as he grabbed Sora’s hand and pulled him away. Roxas didn’t stop him, didn’t even turn to look as they brushed past him.  As far as they were concerned, their conversation was over. Tidus watched Riku and Sora walk away then he looked back at Axel. Axel had his eyes on Roxas, taking note of how Roxas wanted to run after Sora. He didn’t. Roxas just stared at the space Sora stood a moment ago.

“Umm…we should go.” Tidus whispered to him.

Axel shook his head, “You go. I’m staying.” He said. Tidus shrugged as he grabbed his tray and left. The movement caught Roxas eyes as if he just realized where he was. Roxas quickly turned around and began walking back the way he came. Axel stood up and easily caught up with him.

“That was a bit too harsh, wasn’t it?” Axel said.

“Shut up, human.” Roxas mumbled. He wasn’t in any mood to deal with people, much less a human. He regretted what he said to Sora but at the same time he didn’t. The part he regretted was the look on Sora’s face as he told him that. Seeing Sora’s expression crumble was devastating to him. He didn’t expect it to hurt Sora so much but it was the truth.

“I just wanted to make him come back home.” Roxas said to himself.

“That’s not how you do it then.” Axel said.

“Why are you still here?!” Roxas asked. He picked up his pace as he kept on walking, hoping Axel would go away. Axel merely smiled and kept walking besides Roxas.

“You need someone to talk to.” Axel said.

“I don’t need to talk _you_.” He growled. Roxas began running. He wanted to get off the island as soon as possible. He wasn’t even planning on saying much to Sora, just to check but seeing Riku made Roxas want to get Sora away from him as fast as possible. He ran until he reached the top of the hill and saw the beach not too far away.

“You need to talk to someone,” Axel said, once again easily catching up with Roxas. “You shouldn’t hold back all that frustration.”

“Get the hell away from me.” Roxas yelled and ran down hill. Axel watched him run, walking after Roxas.

He was persistent, Roxas would give him that, but he didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment. He certainly wasn’t going back to the palace yet. He just wanted to be by himself. When the path turned sandy, Roxas finally slowed down. He breathed a heavy sigh and walked over to a fallen tree as he sat down on the trunk. He shouldn’t have said that to Sora. He didn’t mean to but it just slipped out. He looked at the gentle waves breaking over the shore and let out another sigh. Everything felt out of synch.

“All your happiness flies away every time you sigh.” Axel startled him, chuckling as he watched Roxas flinch hard and quickly get to his feet while brandishing his blade at Axel. Axel calmly held his hands up as he looked at Roxas. Axel saw the panicked and weary look in Roxas’s eyes; something akin to a wounded animal who had been backed into a corner. Roxas was hurt, probably not as much as Sora but he was definitely hurt. And he had a weapon in his hands. Axel had to trend carefully if he didn’t want to scare Roxas into the ocean.

“It’s not fair since I don’t have my chakrams.” Axel said.

“What do you want?” Roxas cautiously asked. He really didn’t want to deal with anyone at the moment.

“I just want to talk.” Axel said, still holding up his hands.

“Well, I don’t.” Roxas snapped at him. He slowly began talking small steps back, each step inching him closer to the water.

“Do you love him?” Axel asked him. Roxas stopped moving backwards and he lowered his arms.

“Of course I love him, he’s my best friend,” Roxas said. “I know everything about him; what he likes and hates but I don’t understand why he wants to be with him and… _why am I even telling you this_?!” Axel grinned as he slowly lowered his hands and walked towards the tree. He sat down on the trunk and looked at Roxas. He was still armed.

“Maybe you actually want to talk to someone.” Axel said. “It’s better to talk to a stranger then to someone you know.” Roxas grumbled as he put his blade back in its sheath. He slowly walked towards the tree and sat at the very opposite end.

“Tell me, why does Sora want to be with him?” Roxas asked as looked out at the sea. He didn’t understand that. In a way, it felt like Sora was choosing Riku over him and everyone else. Axel watched him, studying his profile carefully. Roxas was really upset, evident in the way Roxas’s eyes were. Axel looked at him as he answered.

“It’s simple; he’s in love.”

\------

Meanwhile, Riku had taken Sora back into the dorms. He walked quickly, ignoring everything and everyone as he concentrated on getting Sora as far away as quickly as possible. He could feel Sora trembling through their clasped hands. Riku would’ve liked nothing more than to have gone back and punch Roxas but Sora was his priority at the moment. As soon as they reached his dorm, Riku pulled Sora in and closed the door. He locked it and not a second later, Sora came up to him and wrapped his arms around Riku’s chest. Riku leaned against the door and hugged Sora back. Sora hugged him tightly, burying his face against Riku’s chest. He didn’t cry because Roxas was just telling him the truth, even if he didn’t want to hear it.

“Can we sit on the floor?” Sora whispered to Riku. Riku chuckled and kissed Sora’s forehead.

“Just drag me down and I’ll follow you.” Riku said. He could see a twitch of a smile on Sora’s lips as Riku slid down against the door. Riku shifted Sora over so that he sat in between his legs. Riku didn’t ask him anything yet. He just kept his arms around Sora with the occasional kiss to the forehead or the corner of his eyes. Sora stayed quiet for awhile, gathering his thoughts as he calmed down. He felt Riku’s arms around him, comforting him without asking any questions.

“I’m not trying to run away,” Sora finally said. “I know my duties as the Pincoy but I don’t have as much freedom as Kairi or Naminé. Leon and the others always try to keep me in the dark.”

“About what?” Riku asked. Sora stared at the carpet. He reached out for Riku’s hand, holding it tightly.

“Most of the attacks on our Kingdom happen because of me. Because I am the Pincoy. I can never swim freely without Leon. I’m not allowed...well, I wasn’t allowed to surface or come in contact with humans.”

“I think you broke that rule.” Riku lightly teased.

“I broke all of them,” Sora said with a little smile. “I know they don’t intentionally do it but I got tired of feeling caged.”

“So you’re just using me as an outlet.” Riku teased again. Sora quickly lifted his head, almost smacking Riku’s chin in the process, and shook his head.

“No! I was genuinely curious about you and…” He stopped when he saw the smirk in Riku’s face. Sora tried to frown but he ended up smiling. “You’re teasing me again.”

“I can’t help it,” Riku said. “I don’t mind being your outlet.”

“But you’re not.” Sora said as he rested his head back underneath Riku’s neck. “You’re more than that and I don’t think I want to go back.” Riku looked down at Sora, feeling an inexplicable urge to go into hiding with Sora. Instead, he just held on to Sora tighter, resting his chin on top of Sora’s head.

“Is your voice that important?” Riku asked.

Sora nodded, “Merfolk can naturally use magic. It’s in our blood. It just takes time and practice to control it. Even then, only a select few can really master it. Wakka, he’s Kairi’s Guardian, has complete control of his magic. With my voice contained in a crystal, his magic is amplified. He becomes more powerful with the help of my voice.”

“That _would_ make you important.” Riku said. Sora smiled at his tone. Riku made him feel better; much better than what he was feeling a few moments ago. Sora leaned away from Riku and wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck. For a second, Riku was confused until Sora kissed him. He grinned against Sora’s innocent kiss and kissed back.

“I feel like I should apologize to Roxas.” Sora said.

“Don’t,” Riku said. “As far as I see it, he should be the one to say sorry.”

“He’s probably on his way back.” Sora said. He stood up and walked towards the window. The sun was starting to set. Sora pressed his palms against the cool glass. Then he pressed his forehead against the window and sighed in relief. Sora would’ve liked to have least settle the fight between them. It felt bitter to just leave the way things were. He heard Riku stand up and a moment later he felt Riku wrap his arms around his waist. Sora smiled and leaned back against him. He stretched his arms above his head; playfully shaking up Riku’s hair.

“Do you feel better?” Riku asked.

“A lot better but…”

“But?”

“I didn’t get to finish the 3rd sandwich.” Sora said, turning around in Riku’s arms. Riku chuckled and poked Sora’s stomach.

“With the way you eat, I’m surprised you’re not a round human ball.” Riku said.

“Hey! I use up a lot of energy when I go swimming.” Sora replied.

“The last time you swam was in the pool on Friday for less than two minutes,” Riku said, walking away from Sora. “I might have to start rolling you everywhere if you keep eating like the way you do.” Sora gasped and glared at Riku before he started giggling. Sora ran up to him, playfully aiming to punch Riku’s back. Sora lunged at him and Riku quickly moved to the side. Before Sora almost fell forwards, Riku grabbed his arms and pinned him against the door.

“I can think of a better way to use up all that energy,” Riku said with a smile. “And it’s a hundred times more fun than swimming.” Sora actually snorted in disbelief. He doubted there was anything more fun than swimming freely. Still, he grinned and gave Riku a challenging look.

“What can be more fun than swimming?” Sora asked.

“You really are naïve but then…,” Riku kissed him. “It just makes things much more fun for me.”

“I don’t understand.” Sora said, pouting just a little bit.

“I’ll show you.” Riku said with a seductive grin. Sora blushed but he didn’t quite know why. That grin told Sora that Riku was going to kiss him but what Riku said went completely over his head.

“Hey! Open the door! It better be PG 13 and under in there.” Axel shouted from the other side of the door. Riku groaned as he rested his head on Sora’s shoulder as Axel pounded on the door.

“I’m going to kill him.” Riku mumbled.

“Shouldn’t we open the door?” Sora asked.

“No. I’d rather have him stay out there.” Riku said as he lifted his head.

“Hey, I heard that!” Axel shouted.

“Let him in.” Riku said with a sigh. He pulled away from Sora as he turned to open the door then walked to Riku.

“Riku is so cold hearted,” Axel said. “He would leave his own dorm mate out in the cold hallway.”

“It’s an act of kindness that I give to myself,” Riku said. He sat down on his bed, Sora taking a seat beside him, and looked at Axel. He did a double take as he noticed Axel’s right eye was bruised. Someone had punched him and whoever did had one hell of a punch. Axel grinned and pointed at his bruised eye like it was a proud battle scar.

“That bad?” He said.

“What the hell happened?” Riku asked.

“Well, you see…” Axel began. He didn’t finish as Roxas shouted over him, “He kissed me!”

“R-Roxas?” Sora stood up, not quite sure he was actually seeing Roxas next to Axel. Roxas looked embarrassed as he stared at Sora. He looked down at his feet, unsure where to start. Axel stepped up and gave Roxas a gentle push further into the room.

“I said you’re not allowed to touch me,” Roxas said. He glared at Axel but he just pointed at Sora. Roxas took a deep breath in as he looked back at Sora. “Sora, I’m sorry I said that to you. It just slipped out because it made me upset to see you with him. I’m going to say it now; I don’t like that Riku.”

“I’m right here.” Riku said, waving his hand.

Roxas ignored him, “So, can you forgive me?”

“No.” Riku said while at the same time Sora nodded. Sora stuck his tongue out at Riku before he went over to Roxas and hugged him.

“It was true and I would’ve had to face it sooner or later,” Sora said. He stepped back and smiled. “But, what are you doing here? I thought you went back.”

“I can’t leave you alone here. I am your Guardian and it’s my duty to protect you.” Roxas said. Riku stood up and pulled Sora back, away from Roxas. Roxas glared at him. He flinched and forgot about Riku for a moment as Axel came up behind him and draped his long arms on Roxas’s shoulder.

“Don’t be shy,” Axel said. “He just wanted a reason to stay with me.”

“I said you’re not allowed to touch me, human!” Roxas yelled, pulling against Axel’s arms.

“Cute little glares won’t work on him, Roxy.” Axel said as he pointed at Riku.

“Don’t call me that either!”

“Let’s go.” Riku said as he grabbed Sora’s hand and led him around Roxas and Axel.

“What about Roxas?” Sora asked.

“I’m pretty sure Axel has that covered.” Riku said as they left the room. As they left , Sora and Riku could hear Roxas’s threats and protest echo in the narrow hallway. Sora smiled; glad to have Roxas with him though he was now sure their days would be numbered.

Until that time came, Sora just had to make everyday count.


	10. Chapter 10

“What part of _don’t touch me_ do you not understand!” Roxas yelled as he stomped away from Axel.

He was forced to be with Axel since he couldn’t find Sora. He was sure Riku took him somewhere and since Roxas barely knew his way around, he had no choice but follow Axel. It irked him even more than the fact that Riku probably took Sora away on purpose. His first night sleeping in the human world was chaos enough. He wouldn’t go to sleep in the same in bed as Axel and Riku wouldn’t let Sora out of his arms. In the end, Axel let Roxas sleep on his bed while he took the floor. Roxas was mildly surprised and thought it was decent thing for Axel to do until he woke up in the morning.

Axel was on the bed sleeping and with his arms around Roxas. Needless to say, he wasn’t going to sleep on Axel’s bed again.

“Every single word.” Axel said, easily catching up to Roxas. The merman stopped and turned around, aiming a glare at Axel.

“Where’s Sora?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Riku probably stole him away for some quiet time.”

“What does Sora see in him anyway?” Roxas mumbled. He turned away from Axel and kept on walking down the hallway.

“He’s in love. It’s only natural that he’ll want to be with the grouchy thing.” Axel said.

“Knowing Sora, I’m sure he doesn’t realize that he’s in love.” Roxas said.

“You’re depressing me,” Axel said. He grabbed Roxas’s hand and began leading him towards the exit of the dorm. “Forget about Sora and enjoy yourself, Roxy.”

“Hey! Quit calling me that.” Roxas said.

“Does that mean I can hold your hand if I stop calling you Roxy?” Axel said as he held up the hand that held Roxas’s. Roxas blushed as he jerked his hand away.

“I’m going to punch you again.” Roxas threatened.

Axel grinned and ignored that threat as he grabbed Roxas’s hand again. Roxas growled and lunged towards Axel. Axel laughed and hopped back, antagonizing Roxas with taunts. The merman kept his calm, however strained it might be. All he wanted to do right now was punch him. Instead, he ignored Axel as he walked right past him.

He tripped up as he walked past Axel, scowling at the floor. He honestly didn’t find what the appeal was of having legs. Roxas felt uncomfortable walking with legs and the clothes he wore felt strange against his skin.

“I don’t like this.” Roxas said. He walked towards a window. It was a sunny day outside.

“Don’t knock it until you tried it.” Axel said. He stood beside Roxas as he looked out the window as well. Roxas moved away but Axel didn’t try and touch him as he usually did. He glanced at Axel every now and then. He didn’t know what to think of him.

Roxas was good at reading people, it was something all Guardians needed to learn, but he couldn’t figure out Axel at all. He was more than aloof but Roxas was sure there was something more. In Roxas’s mind, Axel was dangerous because he couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Axel looked down at Roxas and caught his examining stare.

“Checking me out, are you?” Axel said with a grin. Roxas glared at him and turned away.

“As if!  Your hair is going to be blind me!” He yelled. Axel laughed and followed him.

“Excuses, excuses,” Axel teased. “How about we go have some fun?”

“What do you mean?” Roxas asked. Axel grinned and grabbed Roxas’s arm as he led him back to his room.

Minutes later they were outside. Axel led Roxas away from the main campus and headed towards a more secluded area. With such a sunny day, most students were out on the quad or in town. As they neared the gym, there was a lot less people and more wide open space. Roxas looked around. Along the path towards the building was a large intricate stone fountain. Water shot out a carved flower on top of the structure and cascaded down into the fountain.  He stopped and stared at it, wondering how water spouted out of the fountain without a body of water nearby.

“Roxas?”

“Is that magic?” Roxas asked him, looking behind him at Axel. Axel almost laughed. It was too cute the way he asked. He smiled and looked at the fountain.

“No magic. Just the ingenuity of mankind,” Axel said. “But this is.” Axel stepped back and held out his right arm in front of him with the palm face up. A second later he held a small flame in his hand. He held up his other hand and another flame appeared. Axel grinned and extinguished the flames. “Cool, isn’t it?”

“ _You_ can use magic?” Roxas asked in disbelief.

“Somehow, I feel slightly offended but I think I can,” Axel said. “Fire is the only thing I can do which is fine by me. It makes my hobby that much more fun.”

“What hobby?” Roxas asked. Axel reached down and picked up his chakrams. With one in each hand, he began to slowly spin them in his hand. He concentrated and just as how the flame appeared on his palm, the flames appear on the pointed tips of his chakrams. He threw them both in the air, the fire immediately going out. They spun fast and dangerously close. Roxas watched in awe as one chakram went over the other before they began to fall back down. Without not so much as a glance upwards, Axel caught them in his hands and the tips ignited again. Roxas was in completely awe as he walked over to him.

“That was amazing,” Roxas said. “How did you do that without looking where they would fall?”

“Years of practice…and several trips to the hospital,” Axe said. He put out the flaming tips and held one out to Roxas. “How about you give it a try?”

Since he arrived on the island, Roxas genuinely smiled as he took the chakram. It was a bit heavier than it looked. He swung it in hand, trying to get a feel of the weapon. He thought he had it but it slipped. Roxas quickly stepped back before the pointed ends could severe his toes off. “I think I might cut my head off.” He picked it up and handed it back to Axel.

“How about we spar a little?” Axel said.

“Huh? Is that why you made me bring my blade?” Roxas asked.

Axel nodded, “I’ve always wanted a different training partner. Riku and I have fought each other enough times that I know his fighting style.”

“Hmm, I guess it’s not that bad,” Roxas said. He grabbed his blade and held it in his hands. “Are you sure?”

“You sound confident.” Axel said with a smirk. Roxas grinned and pointed his weapon at Axel.

“Of course, I have to be confident in myself. If not then I’m not a really good Guardian.” Axel stepped forward but Roxas suddenly held his hand up. Axel stopped and watched as Roxas lowered his arm and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt. He felt weird wearing a shirt as he never had to wear one. He leaned his blade against his leg and pulled his shirt off. Axel grinned and loudly whistled at him which made Roxas turn red. “Stop that.”

“Is that your way of distracting me?” Axel teasingly asked.

“No,” Roxas said quickly. “I don’t like how the shirt feels.” He picked up his weapon and assumed his battle stance. Axel smiled and relaxed his shoulders as he began to spin the chakrams in his hands.

“I won’t go easy on you.” Axel warned.

“I wouldn’t want you too!” Roxas replied as he charged towards Axel.

He gripped the handle with both hands and raised his blade above his head. Axel smirked at the predictability of Roxas’s attack. He raised his right hand and parried the blow as he swung his left arm underneath him, aiming towards Roxas’s exposed torso. Roxas flipped backwards and away from Axel’s incoming attack. One of his feet came in contact with Axel’s left hand and successfully kicked his chakram away. Axel hissed in pain as he cradled his left hand against his chest.

He watched his weapon land a few feet away from him, sticking to the ground by a couple of its pointed tips. Roxas tried to right himself but only using one hand to balance his upside body wasn’t such a good idea on the grass. His hand slipped and he fell over on his back with a muted thud. His blade clattered away from his hand as he stared up at the sky, just a bit dizzy.

“Roxas?”

Roxas didn’t answer Axel as he breathed heavily. A silence passed over them and for a moment Axel thought Roxas had injured himself when Roxas suddenly began laughing. He quickly sat up and looked at Axel with a grin.

“That was harder than it looked,” He said, still grinning. “I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.”

“Well, I’m surprised,” Axel said as he went to retrieve his chakram. “What do you mean you wasn’t sure if you could pull it off?”

“Doing a back flip is different underwater. We’re practically weightless so it’s easy but I guess it’s different when there’s air. I use that maneuver whenever I want to disarm an enemy.” Roxas grabbed his blade and stood to his feet.

“So you were trying to get a feel on my technique?” Axel asked.

“Yeah,” Roxas nodded. “I wanted to see what you would do if I left myself wide open. You’re stronger than you look.”

“Again, I think I feel slightly offended. I thought you had fallen for my trap.”

Roxas laughed and assumed the stance again, “I told you not to go easy on me.” Axel smiled and braced himself again.

“This time I won’t.”

\------

It was well into the afternoon before Axel and Roxas both collapsed from exhaustion.

They laid together side by side on the cool grass. The sky was tinted orange and red as the sun was setting and scattered clouds slowly drifted by. Roxas entire body ached but it was the good kind of ache. It still hurt so he didn’t want to move any time soon. He turned his head towards Axel.

Axel had his eyes closed, his hands behind his head. He was skilled fighter and he looked pretty cool lying on the grass with his mouth shut. Roxas chuckled and looked back at the sky.

“What’s so funny?” Axel asked.

“You’re kind of cool when you’re not talking.” Roxas said.

“You mermen are painfully honest, aren’t you?” Axel said though he smiled. It was a compliment covered in barbed wires but a compliment nonetheless.

“I think you’re not so bad,” Roxas continued to say, ignoring Axel’s statement. Not all mermen were honest; it was just Roxas liked honesty. He turned his head back towards Axel. He was looking right at him, his green eyes trained on Roxas.

Roxas quickly looked away. He grumbled and frowned, feeling the blush heat his cheeks. “W-what were you looking at?”

“Your profile is nice to look at.” Axel said. Again, Roxas grumbled and he kept staring at the sky.

“I take it back,” Roxas mumbled. “You’re weird.”

“Oh, don’t be like that Roxy.” Axel said. As expected, Roxas sat up and glared at Axel.

“Don’t call me that!”

“You’re just shy.” Axel said and he rolled over towards Roxas. He grabbed Roxas’s arm and pulled him down. Roxas frowned, tugging away from Axel’s grip. Axel grinned and very quickly he managed to pin down the mermaid while he had his guard down. Roxas turned his head to the side, unwilling to meet Axel’s eyes.

“When do you plan on getting off me?” Roxas asked, choosing to look at the grass instead.

“I don’t know. Let me call you Roxy.”

“Hell no! How about you get off me?” Roxas said.

“I don’t know,” Axel said. He kept Roxas’s arm pinned to the ground. He shifted around so that he was sitting on his stomach. “You make a rather comfortable couch.”

“You’re heavy!” Roxas yelled.

“I’m a twig! Twigs don’t weigh much.” Axel countered.

Roxas growled, eyes threatening murder. Axel patted Roxas’s stomach and stood, helping the blond to his feet. Axel was definitely strange.

From the distant, he noticed Sora walking along with Riku in their direction. He stopped laughing and intently watched them. The first thing he noticed was that they held hands. Riku didn’t look the type of person to hold hands but with Sora he didn’t seem to mind. Roxas smiled when he saw how happy Sora was talking to him. It was clearly written all over his face as to how much Sora liked the human.

“Is Riku a nice person?” Roxas asked.

Axel scratched his head and chuckled, “Depends on your definition of nice.”

“That doesn’t help at all.” Roxas mumbled. He looked back at the pair and Sora had finally noticed them. Sora waved, his grin as bright as the sun. Sora let go of Riku’s hand and ran towards Roxas.

“What happened?” Sora asked as he took in the sight.

“We just had a friendly fight. It’s refreshing to fight someone else other than Riku.” Axel said.

“You’re not hurt?” Sora asked as he looked over their bodies.

“No, we’re not hurt. He’s nowhere as brutal as Cid.” Roxas said.

“C’mon, get up and let’s go.” Sora said as he suddenly remembered why he was looking for him.

“Where are you taking me?”

“The other island over there,” Sora said as he pointed towards the general area of where the smaller island was. “I wanted to go for a swim.”

“Are you sure?” Roxas asked. Sora nodded and smiled.

“It’ll be fun.”

\------

As soon as the wooden boat they rode on was near the dock, Sora jumped off before Axel could stop it.

He landed with a splash, the shallow sea water coming up to his knees. He smiled and took off his shoes. He dug his toes into the wet sand. Nothing could ever compare to the way the ocean felt. Much to the surprise of Axel and Riku, Sora took his shorts off before he started running further into the ocean. Roxas smiled as he watched Sora touch the gem on his necklaces as his legs turned back into his blue tail. Sora whooped loudly before he submerged into the water.

“He really loves the sea, doesn’t he?” Axel said as he tied the boat to the dock. Roxas hopped into the shallow water while Riku and Axel climbed onto the dock. Sora surfaced a few yards away. He waved at them and dove back down.

“Of course, it’s his only freedom.” Roxas said. He picked up Sora’s shoes floating on the water and his shorts. He set the things down on the dock. Sora surfaced again and swam towards them.

“Why are you just standing there?” Sora asked as he sat down on the sand.

“I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to swim as fast as you.” Axel said as he sat down on the dock. Sora pouted and looked at Riku.

“What about you?” Sora asked him.

“I don’t have my bathing suit.” Riku said. Sora groaned and almost turned back into the sea when an idea came to him. Roxas slyly slipped to the side as Sora lifted his tail out of the water. He slammed it back down, successfulyl soaking Riku and Axel. Roxas chuckled as he stared at their faces. They certainly weren’t expecting that. Riku pushed his wet hair back, his face expressionless. Sora shuffled closer as he tried to look at Riku’s face.

“Riku?”

Riku suddenly jumped off the dock, almost scaring the living hell out of Sora. Sora yelled and scrambled away as Riku chased him. Sora grinned when Riku tackled him. It was a bad mistake on his part as Sora held onto Riku and dove.

 They were completely submerged in the calm water; the surface only a foot above their heads. Sora stared at Riku, his silver hair floating around him. Riku looked around him and back at Sora. Quite simply, he looked stunning. He couldn’t quite give it a word but Sora looked more appealing. Sora tilted his head to the left, wondering what Riku was thinking about. Riku grinned and kissed him before he pulled back and swam towards the surface.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Sora asked.

“Yea it was. My eyes are starting to sting.” Riku said he blinked his eyes several times. Sora stuck out his tongue at him. Riku grinned and kissed him again.

“Hey!” Axel yelled, interrupting them. “I would say go get a room but you’re both out in the open and in the sea. Would a cave be a better substitution?” Besides him, Roxas laughed.

“I might have to kill him one of these days.” Riku mumbled as they began to swim back.

“Why?”

“I must’ve been out of my mind to have kept him as a roommate.”

“I don’t know what you just said but you have that look in your eye so I’m going to assume it’s about me.” Axel shouted. He grinned as he saw the annoyed look on Riku’s face.

“Why do you do that?” Roxas asked.

“It’s fun.” Axel replied. Roxas stared at him, once again having a difficult time trying to read him. He grabbed Sora’s shorts and walked over to Sora who had turned his tail back into legs. Riku looked away as Sora stood there naked. Sora thanked Roxas and pulled the shorts on.

“I have a dry pair of shorts in the shack over there. It’s getting cold out here.” Riku said. Sora nodded and ran towards the shore, kicking up water as he ran.

“This place doesn’t look inhabited.” Roxas said to Riku.

“It’s not but I keep spare clothes over there.” Riku said. Roxas walked beside him.

“Why?”

“To preserve my sanity from that flaming hydrant over there.” Riku said.

Roxas remained quiet and jogged further on ahead. He thought enough about Axel for one day. It was strange in itself that Axel was anywhere in his thoughts. He followed Sora into the shack and saw him rummage through a clear bag. Just as Riku had said, he found a pair of shorts. He pulled off his wet shirt and shorts and pulled on the dry shorts. Riku walked in and grabbed a bag and headed up the stairs to change. Axel walked in with a small pile of twigs in his arms and knelt before the small camp fire in the middle of the room. He placed the twigs inside the circle border made of various small rocks. Roxas watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver rectangular case. Axel flicked the lid open and pressed his thumb on a tiny button. He flicked it and a flame suddenly appeared. Sora was watching and when he saw the flame appear he stared in awe.

“Was that magic?”

“No, it’s called a lighter.” Axel said with a chuckle as he held the open flame to the dry twigs. Riku came back, wearing a dark hoodie and shorts. He opened up a makeshift window; it was a small rectangular part of the wood that could be swung outwards to let air in. He opened up another on the other side of the wall before he sat down against the corner.

“You look like a thug.” Axel said as he sat in the opposite corner across from Riku. Sora sat beside Riku and Roxas stood by the fire. Axel noticed and patted the empty space next to him.

“No.” He quickly said.

“Roxas, you’ll get cold.” Sora said. Roxas frowned but slowly made his way to Axel. He sat down close to Axel then glared at him.

“I’ll hurt you if you try anything funny.” Roxas threatened.

Axel raised his right hand, “You have my scout’s honor.” Axel said.

“What honor?” Riku said.

While those two talked, or insulted each other in their subtle ways, Sora unhooked his necklace. He held the gem in his palm as he stared at the swirl that moved around inside. He closed his eyes and slowly began to sing.

Axel and Riku stopped talking, both of them looking at Sora. He had a completely serene look on his face with a gentle smile on his lips as he sang. They couldn’t understand the words, neither could Roxas because he wouldn’t know anything about the ancient language, but they could tell it was a warm song. The gem in Sora’s cupped hands glowed and pulsed with his words. Axel and Riku relaxed as they listened to Sora sing in that strange and soothing language.

“I think I see how he might be important.” Axel said.

\------

In the palace, Leon was in the garden Sora used to sit in. With Cid, they had gone through all the other kingdoms and they were certain Sora wasn’t in anyone of them. They had stopped searching for the meanwhile and Leon took the time to be alone.

He stared at the coral reef, deep in thought. He was definitely worried but not enough to panic. Now that Roxas was gone, he was beginning to slightly panic. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Doesn’t it feel like history is repeating itself?” Cid said as he swam into the garden. Leon glared at him.

“I wish history would stay in the past.” Leon replied.

“It rarely does. The only difference is that there are new people.” Cid said.

“Either way, I’m going to stop it before it can try to repeat.”

“At the expense of having Sora hating you?” Cid asked.

Leon didn’t answer immediately. If possible, he didn’t want Sora to hate him but the way things had progressed, it seemed like having Sora hate him was the only way to prevent history from repeating. He could stop it now, he was sure, because he wasn’t young or naïve anymore. He knew what he had to do, something he couldn’t do the first time around.

“Roxas won’t be a problem.” Leon said, avoiding his question. Cid smirked as he turned and began swimming away.

“You shouldn’t worry about Roxas so much. I think I’ll be more concerned with Sora,” Cid said, stopping at the entrance. “The little squirt might resent you for the rest of his life.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Leon said. “I’ll bear it.” Cid barked a laugh at his response as he swam away.

“It’s not whether you can bear it, Squall,” Cid said to himself. “It’s if Sora can.”

Back in the garden, Leon leaned against the boulder. It was quiet. It’s never been this quiet in the palace since Sora was born. When it involved him, something was always happening. As he stared at the wall, an old memory came to him. He was younger, under the eye of a younger Cid, still as rough and crude as always. He was a guardian-in-training, honing his skills with his sword. __

> _“Alright, that’s enough kid,” Cid said. “Go and take a rest for an hour then we’ll continue.”_
> 
> _“I’m not a kid.” Leon said. Cid smirked and roughly ruffled up Leon’s hair._
> 
> _“If I can do that, you’re a kid to me.” Cid said as he swam away. Leon grumbled and placed his blade back on the rack. Leon began to slowly swim around the hallways. He preferred his alone time but he didn’t want to be alone after a hard and brutal session. There was only one person he felt comfortable enough to relax and not be expected to hold a conversation. It wasn’t a far trip and before he knew it Leon was heading into his room. The guards at the entrance let him through. Cloud was lying down on his bed, curled up underneath the soft cover. Leon sat down on the bed, facing away from Cloud._
> 
> _“You’re always sleeping.” Leon said. He could only see the top of Cloud’s head, his blonde hair splayed around. He couldn’t see his eyes but Leon knew he had them open and hidden underneath his hair._
> 
> _“And you’re always in here.” Cloud replied. Leon chuckled and stared at the wall._
> 
> _“Why don’t you go out?” Leon asked._
> 
> _“…there’s not a reason anymore,” Cloud said after a pause. Leon felt the grief in his words and he didn’t know what to say next. What could he say?  Instead he stared at the wall until Cloud drifted back to sleep._

Leon sighed once again before he left the garden. A moment later, Kairi and Naminé poked their heads up from behind the coral reefs. They didn’t mean to hide but Leon hadn’t noticed them when he swam in. He was deep in thought and they didn’t want to disturb him so Kairi and Naminé decided to hide. Now, they were glad they did hide.

“What do you think they meant by history repeating itself?” Kairi asked.

“I don’t know but now we know something is definitely up.” Naminé said as she swam towards the entrance.

“They were so vague,” Kairi complained. “We can’t go searching for vagueness. Vague is vast and they could’ve been taking about anything.”

“We know it involves Leon and Cid. He knows what’s going on with Leon,” Naminé said. “Let’s go back at the library and look at the articles. We should look at the major events that happened in the past twenty years. Our keyword is guardian.”

“Okay,” Kairi said as she followed Naminé. “But what about that room Roxas mentioned?”

“The one with the Guardian’s history?” Naminé asked.

“Yeah. Are we going to use that room?”

“It’ll be a last resort but hopefully by then we’ll at least know something.” Naminé said. Kairi nodded in agreement as they headed off to the library.


	11. Chapter 11

> _Leon dodged Cid’s attack, his spear coming dangerously close to his neck. He grunted and shifted away, retreating without looking away from Cid. Cid smirked and pulled back his spear as he rushed towards a weapon-less Leon._
> 
> _With his blade thrown aside and out of reach, Leon was sure he was defeated. In desperation, just as Cid was a foot away, Leon flicked his tail against the sandy ground. The upturned sand immediately clouded around them and blocked Cid’s vision. Leon dodged just in time. A moment later and the tip of Cid’s spear would’ve pierced right through his left arm. Leon dashed to his weapon and grabbed it._
> 
> _As the sand cloud settled down, Leon rushed towards Cid. Just as Leon attacked, Cid blocked it with the haft of his spear. Leon glared at him, breathing heavily. They were at a standstill._
> 
> _“Are you trying to kill me!?” He shouted angrily. Cid just laughed and easily disarmed Leon again with a twist of his spear.  Leon hissed in pain as his wrists were sharply twisted at an old angle. He massaged them as his blade struck the ground. He glared at Cid, disliking him more and more as he just floated there with a grin._
> 
> _There wasn’t a scratch on Cid and he wasn’t even panting. Leon, on the other hand, was bruised, tattered, and out of breath._
> 
> _“I’m just preparing you.” Cid said as he sat down on a boulder._
> 
> _“I think you’re a sadist.” Leon murmured._
> 
> _“What was that?” Cid asked._
> 
> _“Nothing,” Leon replied. “If you’re done beating the life out of me, I’m leaving.”_
> 
> _“Alright,” Cid said. “Tomorrow we’ll practice on speed so rest up.” Leon nodded as he grabbed his blade._
> 
> _He just wanted to leave and go somewhere quiet. He swam to his room, his whole body aching and throbbing the whole way. Even his fin throbbed in pain. Cid never went easy on him or on anybody actually. It was no wonder he was an exceptional Guardian and Guardian trainer but it still didn’t warrant him to literally beat Leon until he could barely move. Leon sighed and quickly entered his room._
> 
> _He placed his weapon on his bed and dashed back out. He swam further ahead until he came to a room guarded by two soldiers. They let him through without much trouble. They already knew who he was.  Leon swam in and immediately saw Cloud on his bed._
> 
> _“You’re back early.” Leon said as he laid down on Cloud’s bed. Cloud glanced at Leon, taking in his bruised body. There was a large bruise covering his right hip. He reached over and poked it. Leon grunted in pain but didn’t move. Cloud softly smiled as he looked away._
> 
> _“You’re going to bleed on my bed.” He said._
> 
> _“I’m bruised but not bleeding,” Leon said. “So why are you here so early?”_
> 
> _“It’s raining up there.” Cloud said. “I don’t think humans like it when it rains.”_
> 
> _“It’s just water. Wouldn’t it be the same as taking a shower?” Leon asked._
> 
> _“Yeah.”_
> 
> _“Humans are weird.” Leon said as he closed his eyes. His weary body was starting to tell him to go to sleep. He pulled himself further on Cloud’s bed. “Why do you even go there?”_
> 
> _“So I can breathe.” Cloud softly said. Leon yawned and would’ve asked him what that meant but he was too tired. Cloud looked back at Leon. He knew he wasn’t sleeping yet. Leon still had that crinkle in between his brow he usually had. Cid must’ve gone all out with him._
> 
> _“Do you want me to heal you, Squall?” Cloud asked._
> 
> _“…no.” Leon said after a moment of consideration. Cloud smirked as he looked at him. Leon was stubborn already, having Cid as a mentor wasn’t exactly easing up his stubbornness. The crinkle didn’t leave Leon’s brow so he waited. In the same way that he went to surface to breathe, Leon provided that same ease. Responsibility just disappeared when he was with Leon._
> 
> _“Are you sleeping?” Cloud asked._
> 
> _“Yes.”_
> 
> _“…why do you let me call you Squall?”_
> 
> _“…goodnight.” Leon said as he turned his face towards the other side so Cloud couldn’t see._
> 
> _“Why won’t you tell me?” Cloud asked. Leon sighed and twisted over. He stared at Cloud, unperturbed by his stare. They had the same stare. It easily puts off other people from approaching them. A sort of emotionless and distant stare with the only differences between them was their eye color. Leon sighed and he closed his eyes._
> 
> _“Everyone calls me Leon,” He said. “We’re similar enough that I don’t want you to call me by what I’m called by everyone else.”_
> 
> _“Cid calls you Squall.” Cloud said._
> 
> _“He’s a rude and stubborn exception.” Leon said._
> 
> _“And you say humans are weird.” Cloud said. Leon grumbled and kept his eyes shut. They didn’t talk again. They just stay in silence with each other’s company._
> 
> _Leon eventually fell asleep. They only way Cloud could tell Leon was asleep was by the skin between Leon’s brows. When he was asleep his brow would smooth out and his whole expression changed. He looked more off guard and less tense. Cloud moved closer to Leon and reached his hand out. Before he could run his fingers through soft, dark hair he stopped. He remembered_ his _face, framed by long silver hair that looked like silk. Cloud sighed and shook his head. He touched Leon’s head and watched his fingers slide through his hair._
> 
> _“Don’t you mean we’re familiar enough with each other?” Another flash of vision of a handsome face framed by silver entered his mind. Cloud pulled his hand back, feeling guilty._

\------

It was morning, the sun slowly climbing up the sky. The only way Riku and Axel knew was by the little makeshift window. It was gradually getting lighter outside. Sora was sound asleep, his head resting on Riku’s lap and a large blanket covered his body. Opposite of him, Axel was also awake. Roxas wasn’t, his head rested against Axel’s shoulder with another large blanket covering them both.

“Are you ditching today?” Axel asked.

“Of course, I don’t feel like getting up.” Riku said, as he looked down at Sora. He reached down and ran his hand through Sora’s hair.

“Because your lover there isn’t awake yet,” Axel teased. “Who knew you had a thing for a different species.”

“Quit saying it like that,” Riku said. “What about you?” Axel feigned shock as he looked over at Roxas. Roxas was snoring lightly. He would occasionally snuggle closer to Axel and had his arms wrapped around Axel’s arm. Axel grinned as he looked back to Riku.

“I, at least, am targeting a normal merman. You are screwed by taking an interest in the merfolk equivalent of a prince.” Axel said.

Riku smirked as he looked at Axel, “The only reason he’s here is because of Sora. Roxas is Sora’s Guardian. If Sora leaves, Roxas leaves too. You’re even more screwed because Roxas won’t stay here without him.” Axel considered that for a moment. It’s barely been two days. Two days wasn’t enough to build a connection.

“…fuck,” Axel said. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. “Wait, that’s not entirely true. I’ll get him used to me. So much that he won’t be able to stop thinking about me.”

“Wouldn’t that be manipulation?”

“If you want to put it so negatively…then yeah, it could be.” Axel said, giving it a thought. Riku chuckled and he looked back down at Sora. In any case, they were both screwed.

They sat in silence, both of them deep in thought. Riku could feel Sora shift around a lot; he was beginning to wake up. He yawned, lifting his head up for a brief second before he let it fall back down on Riku’s lap. He looked up at Riku and smiled.

“Good morning, Riku.”

“Morning.” He replied.

Sora yawned again, in no particular rush to move or go outside. He was perfectly happy resting with Riku.

“Hey, Sora, what does Roxas like?” Axel asked. “This guy here never wants to tell me anything.”

“What Roxy likes? He likes--”

“Sora!” Roxas was awake, cutting off Sora. Sora smiled at Roxas, knowing why Roxas had stopped him.

“Good morning, Roxas.” Sora innocently said.

“Don’t good morning me! What were you just about to tell that pole?!” Roxas shouted. He went to point at Axel when his arm bumped against Axel’s chest. Confused, he looked at Axel and finally noticed how close he was to him. When did he have his arms wrapped around Axel’s arm? Axel smiled at him. Roxas quickly scrambled away from him. He could feel the goose bumps on his arms rise.

“Rest assured, I didn’t do anything,” Axel said. “The only thing I did was be your pillow. Anyway, what were you saying Sora?” He turned back his attention to Sora. Immediately Roxas scrambled over to Sora. He grabbed Sora’s arm and pulled him up and away from his comfortable spot on Riku. Roxas hauled Sora into the stairway.

“What are you doing?” He whispered vehemently to Sora.

“Trying to help you,” Sora said. “You’re acting like Leon.” Sora added.

“Huh? How?” Roxas asked.

“You’re judging them before you’ve had a chance to know them.” Sora said.

“Sora, you know I don’t exactly like humans.” Roxas said.

“Why?” Sora countered. “What has a human ever done to you?” Roxas opened his mouth then closed it again. He had not answer for that. Sora smiled, knowing he had knocked at least a fraction of some sense into his head. “You should give Axel a chance.”

“…fine.” Roxas said, pouting like a little kid. Sora grinned and stood up, gently pushing Roxas back into the shack. Sora walked over to the makeshift window. The sky was lit up in a brilliant blue color. The sun was already up and blazing. Sora smiled and looked back at Riku.

“It looks nice outside.” Sora said. He stepped over Riku’s legs and opened the door. Sunlight streamed into the shack, momentarily blocked by Sora as he walked out. Roxas followed after him.

“Are you still ditching?” Axel asked as he stood up. Riku nodded as he stood.

“Riku! Let’s go swimming!” Sora yelled, waving his arms at Riku.

“Temptation’s calling.” Riku said as he headed out. He pulled off the hoodie before he ran towards Sora. Sora grinned as he ran towards the ocean. Axel walked towards Roxas and they looked on as Sora grabbed Riku’s hand and pulled him underneath the water.

“I think we’ve been ditched.” Axel said.

“I think so too.”

“So, what was it that you liked?” Axel asked. Roxas blushed and he began walking away. Axel grinned. Roxas was hiding something embarrassing. He wanted to pry it out.

“How about we have some fun too,” Axel said as he grabbed Roxas’s arm and began leading him towards the water. Roxas was about to object but he stopped. It was too good a day to do nothing. Why ruin it by protesting?

\------

“Sora, let’s slip away.” Riku whispered into Sora’s ear. They sat together on the wet sand; far enough to have the waves gently wash over their body. Sora was sitting in-between Riku’s legs with Riku’s arms around him. Sora turned his head to the side, resting his head back on Riku’s shoulder so he could look up at him.

“Huh?”

“They seem to be having without us.” Riku said. Sora looked back at the ocean.

“Where the hell do you think you were touching!?” Roxas shouted as he chased after Axel in the shallow water. Axel laughed as he ran away, looking back at Roxas.

“I thought I saw a sea slug.” Axel said.

“Liar!” Roxas shouted. Sora chuckled as Axel headed towards the smaller island. They did seem to have forgotten about Riku and Sora.

“You’re right.” Sora said. “But where?” Riku grinned as he stood up. He held Sora’s hand and led him away from the shore. They walked towards left side of the island, heading to the bridge connecting to the smaller island. Over head, Axel ran with Roxas right behind him.

“I swear I was just trying to catch the fish!” Axel yelled another excuse.

“I thought you said it was a sea slug!”

“…it was a barracuda!” Axel laughed as he heard Roxas yell in frustration. Axel was clearly enjoying himself.

“Axel really likes to tease him.” Sora said.

“I feel sorry for Roxas.” Riku mumbled. “He’ll have to deal with that if Axel’s plan actually works.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing.” Riku said as he opened the door leading to the other side of the island. Sora looked around. To his left was a wooden bridge, a small broken gap right in the middle. He ran to the edge of the platform they were on. There was a hole near the bottom trickling fresh water into the sea. Across from Sora was a large wooden tower.

“What’s that?” Sora asked as he pointed to the tower.

“It’s the way to the zip line.” Riku walked up to the edge and jumped off. Sora grinned and jumped in after him. Sora grabbed Riku’s hand and they began walking together through the shallow water. He went ahead of him and Riku watched. Sora walked over to the leaking water hole in the rock wall, stepping over the boards from the bridge above.

He cupped his hands and watched the water pool into them then flowed over. Riku let his mind wander as his eyes travelled over Sora’s body. He could see water drops slide down Sora’s back; over the curve of his shoulder blade and down further to his hips before it was stopped by the waist of Sora’s shorts. Riku decided to take the chance; Axel was preoccupied, so was Roxas for that matter, and they were alone. Riku walked up behind Sora as he wrapped his arms around Sora’s slim waist.

“Riku?”

“If you feel uncomfortable, just tell me and I’ll stop.”

Sora nodded, thought confused, he trusted Riku. He watched Riku’s hands glide over Sora’s stomach.

The way Riku was touching him, soft but firm, was as if Riku was committing to memory Sora’s chest. For some reason, as Riku’s fingers neared his nipples, Sora blushed and he became aware of Riku’s body pressing up against his back. Riku was breathing softly, his breath tickling the side of Sora’s neck.

Sora shivered as he felt himself getting strangely hot. Riku could feel Sora trembling slightly. He slowed down, letting his hands graze over Sora’s hardened nipples. Sora flinched as a small gasp escaped him but he didn’t tell Riku to stop. Riku slid his hands back down and slipped them underneath Sora’s shorts. He stopped, not quite touching Sora as he waited for his reaction.

“W-why did you stop?”

“I can go on?” Riku asked.

Sora nodded, his face flushed red. He didn’t quite know what Riku was doing but whatever it was, it felt good. He didn’t want him to stop.

Riku grinned and kissed the side of his neck.  He pulled his hands out of Sora’s shorts and turned him around. Riku pinned him against the cold rock wall. Sora wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck as he rubbed his body against Riku’s. He wanted to feel more of the lingering heat from Riku’s hands.

Riku held Sora’s undulating hips steady. For someone as seemingly innocent as Sora, he sure did know how to move his hips. Sora almost whined, eyes pleading to Riku. He pulled down Sora’s shorts, unbuckling and lowering his pants as well. Sora blinked, looking down at his erect cock. Large blue eyes stared back at him, waiting and filled with unfamiliar lust. Riku groaned as he felt his cock twitch. He wanted nothing more than to devour Sora right then and there but he was sure it would scare him. He needed to take it one step at a time.

“Just keep your arms around my neck.” Riku said. Sora nodded and tightened his hold. Sora jerked when he felt Riku’s hand graze against his erection. He felt a shiver shoot up his spine as he felt Riku’s hand slowly stroke him.

Sora leaned his head against Riku’s shoulder as he looked down. It felt strange, it looked strange, but it felt so _good_.

 Sora hadn’t known he could feel so good by having Riku touch him there. He moaned into Riku’s ear, his nerves going haywire. Sora liked the strange feeling. It made him feel more than just good. He bucked his hips against Riku’s hand, wanting more of the addicting heat that flooded his body.

“…Riku…more…” Sora breathed into Riku’s ear. Riku blushed. He couldn’t hold back anymore, not after _that_. He slid his hand on either side of Sora’s hips and pushed his groin against Sora’s.

“Ah..!” Sora moaned loudly into Riku’s ear. His knees almost buckled underneath him. Sora clung to Riku, rocking his hips against Riku’s. He could feel Riku’s hand continue to stroke him as their erection kept rubbing up against each other.

Riku trailed a line of kisses along the curve of Sora’s neck, marking him often. He marked Sora in obvious places where anyone could easily see. He braced his free hand behind the small of Sora’s back, pulling Sora closer. Sora groaned as Riku’s hand quickened, not only stroking Sora’s cock but his own as well.

Sora felt weird, wonderful, and incredibly hot, so hot. He pulled his head away from Riku’s shoulder so he could look at him. He could see that Riku’s face was flushed as well. He called Riku’s name and stared into the most beautiful eyes.

Bright, almost electric blue, eyes filled with affection and lust stared back at Sora. Sora held Riku’s face, kissing his lips, his cheeks, soft but urgent kisses. Their hips grinded against each other; Riku’s hand playing with the tip of Sora’s cock. His legs were close to buckling underneath him. Sora clung to Riku, moaning, arching his back; fingers digging into Riku’s back as he felt a tremendous wave of steaming hot pleasure completely flood his senses.

“..nng, Riku…!” He cried out, eyes shut as the rolling heat built up inside released within his body. He heard Riku groan and felt something wet splatter between their pressed chests.

Riku smiled and pushed back Sora’s hair away from his eyes. He kissed Sora’s forehead then his lips. He could tell Sora was exhausted. Riku was carrying most of Sora’s weight, not that it mattered much since Sora was relatively light. He gently ran his hand down Sora’s thigh then back up to Sora’s groin. Sora jerked in response as Riku quickly ran his fingers along the softening member.

“How do you feel?” He asked. Sora continued to breathe heavily as he rested his head against Riku’s chest.

How did he feel? Sora felt everything. He felt Riku’s body, his soothing hands, his breathing, and their thumping heartbeats. His whole body tingled and was warm and sated. He was highly aware of where Riku’s hands where, how they were wrapped around his waist in a gentle and supporting embrace.

Instead of saying just that Sora said, “I think my legs gave out.”

Riku laughed, “You can still walk.” He helped Sora down sit in the shallow water. Sora kicked of his shorts and stretched out his legs in front of him. He looked down at his chest and ran his fingers through the sticky liquid. Sora looked over at Riku who was splashing water down his own chest.

“What is this?” Sora asked.

“The technically term is sperm.” Riku said. He cupped his hands together and let water pool into his hands. He leaned over and poured the water over Sora’s chest. Sora looked at his finger and licked it clean. Riku stared at him in surprise, his face quickly turning red.

“Does that happen every time?” Sora asked. He was oblivious to the Riku was struggling for the words to answer Sora while his mind was blank at the moment.

“Pretty much,” Riku said as he calmed his thoughts down.

Sora watched Riku hold his hands and kiss his fingers. Sora smiled and lunged towards Riku. They fell backwards into the shallow water with Sora lying on top of him. He felt so content and lethargic. Sora liked the feeling, it wasn’t like anything he’d ever felt. If possible, Sora thought it was better than swimming. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora’s waist. “Want to go at it again?” Riku asked as he planted a kiss on Sora’s neck.

Sora smiled and opened his mouth to speak but his stomach beat him to it. Riku felt it grumble. Sora blushed in embarrassment as he hid his face against Riku’s neck, “Can we go eat first?” He mumbled.

“Alright, let’s get going.” Riku said. He helped Sora up before he stood up himself. Sora picked up his shorts floating nearby and slipped them on. Riku grabbed his own shorts and they began walking towards the other side of the island. As they walked, Riku could see the kiss marks on Sora’s neck, and along his shoulders. He felt proud. At last there was some physical proof that Sora was his.

On the other side, Roxas and Axel were resting on the dry and heated sand. They just finished another round of fighting. Fighting Axel helped Roxas get a better gauge on him. Roxas was resting on his stomach, his head braced against his forearms. He snuck a peak at Axel.

He decided Axel wasn’t such a bad person. He was definitely strange but it didn’t matter so much. Axel could feel Roxas’s stare but he didn’t move. Why spoil the moment?

Roxas thought of Sora and how he was a real hands-on merman. Roxas knew Sora was affectionate. It was a part of him, since childhood. Back home, Sora would constantly hold hands with him. Roxas never thought any different of it but was there a difference?

Roxas lifted his head and looked around before he rested his head back down on his arms. Axel still had his eyes closed. Roxas reached his left arm out, stopping just an inch from Axel’s hand.

“Roxas!”

Roxas flinched in surprises as he pulled back his hand. He quickly looked away from Axel’ his face turning a light red. He sat up as Sora jogged over to him. He was about to greet him when he noticed the red marks along Sora’s neck. They stood out against his skin and were plain obvious.

“I see you two love birds were busy.” Axel said as he sat up as well. He was just slightly annoyed. Roxas was so close to touching him. He could’ve used that.

“What do you mean?” Sora asked. He seemed to be unaware of the marks on his neck.

“Shut up, Axel,” Riku said. “We should head back now.”

“Sora, what were you doing with him?” Roxas asked. Sora looked at Roxas and suddenly looked away. He was embarrassed.

“I’ll tell you later, let’s just go back and…” Sora stopped talking as he stared out at the sea. Roxas looked out the sea too, noticing what Sora was feeling but more. Since Roxas had a Guardian crystal, it could easily tell him when the others were near. He felt it and since it was Sora’s voice in those diamonds, Sora could tell Leon and the others were near. They were coming for them.

“We have to hide,” Sora said as he stepped back. Riku nodded and grabbed Sora’s hand as he pulled Sora into the shack. Axel ran after them but Roxas stood there. Sora poked his head out the door.

“Roxas, why are you standing there?” Roxas stared at him then back to the ocean. They were near and he was torn between what he should do. Ultimately, Roxas bit his bottom lip and ran towards the shack.

As much as he was Sora’s Guardian, he was first of all his friend.  They closed the door and Sora immediately went to Riku. “Roxas, take of your necklace so they won’t find you.” Roxas nodded and quickly took it off. He dropped it to the side and then they waited.

Outside, Leon and Cid emerged from the water. They had the soft cloth wrapped around their waist. Leon had a similar belt like Roxas that held his blade. Cid preferred to carry his spear with him on his back. They stopped and looked around the island.

They could hear the sounds of wild animals, the gentle crashing of the miniature waterfall, the rustle of the leave but nothing else. There were no tell-tell signs of Sora or Roxas. Leon sighed and turned towards Cid.

“It looks like he’s not here.” Leon said.

“Did you think it’ll be that easy to find the little squirt,” Cid asked. “I bet he’s over at the main island.” Leon gave Cid a looked that said he really did wish Sora really was on the tinier island. He hadn’t stepped foot on the main island in years.

“We don’t have to inform their mayor, do we?” Leon asked.

“Nah, only if there’s a large enough ruckus…which might be true when we catch Sora,” Cid said. Leon sighed and gave the island one more look. There was nothing but birds, trees, and a shabby shack. “You don’t want to run into him, do you?”

“I haven’t seen him in years, Cid. What makes me you think I want to see him now.” Leon said.

“Don’t be bitter, Squall. We might not even run into him,” Cid said. “Now, let’s get going. The King is anxious to bring back Sora.” Leon nodded and they headed back to the water. The water rushed up their bodies and it was instantaneous as their tails appeared. They dove into the water as they headed towards the main island. No one moved inside the shack. They stood still for what seemed like an eternity but it was only ten minutes. Roxas was the first to make a move. He went to Sora, who seemed like he was in shock.

“Sora, get it together,” Roxas said as he gently shook Sora. “You knew this would eventually happen.”

“…I know but I…” Sora hesitated. He felt conflicted and selfish; two emotions he never really had to deal with before. Conflicted because he wanted to stay while the rational part of his mind knew he had to go; selfish because he didn’t want to leave Riku. While Roxas helped Sora relax a bit, Axel stepped over towards Riku.

“Well?” He asked.

“Hand me your phone.” Riku said. Axel dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Riku took it then dialed Demyx’s number. It rang twice before someone picked up.

“Did Riku kick you out again?”

“Zexion?” Riku said.

“Riku? Why do you have Axel’s phone?” He asked.

“Never mind that,” Riku said. “Tell Demyx to meet me at the hill and to bring me my blade.”

“He’s working.” Zexion replied.

“Well, you do it then,” Riku said. “Don’t even complain. It’s important and I don’t have time to deal with your usual snarkiness.”

“…alright.”

Riku quickly hung up the phone and handed it back to Axel. “Go take Sora with you to the boat.” Axel mockingly saluted as he walked towards Sora.

“Let’s go, Sora,” Axel said as he took Sora’s arm. “Sergeant Riku has his I-have-plan face.” Sora nodded and he followed Axel out to the docks. Riku sighed and rubbed his temples. At least this time, he’ll be prepared. Roxas looked at him; he was too deep in thought to notice that Roxas was staring at him.

“Do you really have a plan?” Roxas asked, snapping Riku out of his thoughts.  He bent down to pick up his necklace but he didn’t place back on his neck.

“Not really,” Riku said. “But I’m not letting him go without a fight.” Riku began walking towards the dock. Roxas followed him as he fell in step beside Riku.

“You really do like Sora, don’t you.” Roxas said, more of a statement than a question.

“You doubted me?”

“Of course, even if you were a merman, I still would’ve doubt your feelings.” Roxas said.

“Why?”

“Because before I see the Pincoy, I see my best friend first,” Roxas said. They stopped just at the stairs towards the dock. “I guess you’re not a bad human.”

He went ahead of Riku, going underneath the dock to the boat. Somehow, he felt like Roxas had just given him his approval. He chuckled and went to the boat just as Axel began to push it into deeper water. Axel grabbed the oars and threw the second one towards Roxas.

“Help me out, Roxy.” Axel said. Roxas nodded, for once not minding the fact that Axel called him that, as he sat beside Axel. Sora sat beside Riku and he leaned his head against Riku’s shoulder. Sora closed his eyes and he reached out for Riku’s hand. A moment later, he felt Riku hold Sora’s hand tightly. Riku could feel just how nervous and scared Sora was.

“Don’t let go of my hand, okay?” Sora asked.

“I won’t.” Riku replied as Roxas and Axel steered the boat towards the main island.


	12. Chapter 12

The boat ride to the main island was silent.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence; it was more like a silence they didn’t want to break. Only the sound of the paddle being dipped, pulled up, and dipped again into the water penetrated the silence. Sora had his head leaned against Riku’s shoulder, his mind purposely blank.

He didn’t want to think about what might happen or not. Instead he concentrated on the warmth of Riku’s hand. He could tell Riku was nervous too. He could feel the pulse of Riku’s heart in his hand but if he looked at Riku’s face it didn’t show. When the boat neared the dock of the main island, Axel hopped off and grabbed the rope connected to the boat. He tugged it closer and tied the boat to the dock as Roxas and the others stepped out.

“What’s your plan?” Axel asked as they began walking through the shallow water and onto the dry shore.

“Avoid them. It’s stupid to meet them head on,” Riku said. “Can you tell where they are?” He asked Roxas.

“Yeah but I’ll have to put my necklace on and if I do, they can tell where I am as well,” Roxas said as he held his necklace. “I’m not sure about Sora’s.”

“I don’t think so,” Sora said as he fiddled with his necklace. “They would’ve found me if they could sense it.”

“Why couldn’t they sense yours and not Roxas?” Axel asked.

Sora shrugged, “I think it’s because of the gem. I still don’t know what it is.”

“So we’re playing it blind.”

“Pretty much,” Riku said. “First, I need to get my blade from Zexion.” The path they walked on abruptly changed from the warm sand to the dirt road that lead towards the town.

“He’s back?” Axel asked.

“Apparently.” Riku said.

As they talked, Sora noticed that Roxas was walking behind them. Sora let go of Riku’s hand and fell in step with Roxas. Roxas was so far off in his mind that he didn’t notice Sora at first. He waited, looking at his friend’s worried face before he decided to bring him back. Sora smiled as he bumped his hips against Roxas’s.

Roxas staggered sideways, arms flailing as he tried to get his balance straightened. Sora laughed as he reached out and went to grab Roxas’s hand. Balance regained, he gave Sora that peeved look of his.

“What was that for?” He asked.

“You looked worried,” Sora said. “It won’t help if you think so much.” Roxas sighed.

“It’s impossible not to think about it.” Roxas said. “Aren’t you scared?”

Sora looked at Riku. He was just a few feet ahead of them. Sora would be lying if he said if he wasn’t scared. Of course he was scared. He felt scared, nervous, and conflicted.

For once, he thought things would’ve turned out less complicated if he was just a normal merman. No one would look for him. It would’ve been much simpler. But that wasn’t the case. He was the Pincoy given the responsibility of being gifted with the ancient voice.

“I am,” Sora said. “But it’s useless to think right now. Maybe we’ll be lucky and we’ll be able to avoid Leon and Cid.”

“I doubt it.” Roxas said. Sora grumbled and bumped his hips against Roxas’s again.

“You’re putting me down and that’s a very difficult thing to do.” Sora said. Roxas chuckled as he draped his arm around Sora’s shoulder.

“Admitting your naïve nature?” Roxas asked.

“No. That has nothing to do with me being…,” Sora said. “…hey!”

Roxas laughed as he stepped aside, Sora attempting to take a swing at him. He naturally missed and tumbled forward. He would’ve fallen on his face if Roxas hadn’t helped him.

“You still haven’t told me how you got those marks.” Roxas said as he pointed to a red mark on Sora’s shoulder. Sora touched his neck, remembering what Riku did. He blushed and suddenly grabbed Roxas hand to stop him. He waited until Riku and Axel were further ahead. Confused, Roxas waited. Once Sora felt Riku wouldn’t overhear, he grabbed Roxas’s ear and tugged his head down so he could whisper to him.

“I think it was sex.” Sora said.

“What?!” Roxas stepped back so he could look at blushing friend. Sora hushed him as Riku and Axel finally noticed they had stopped following.

“You’re being loud.”

Roxas grumbled as he whispered at Sora, “How can I not be loud when you did… _that_ with a human!”

“Shush!” Sora said as he waved his hands at him. “I said I _think_ it was sex. Think is the keyword! I mean…it was…and then…but we really didn’t…I don’t know how to explain it but it wasn’t the type of sex you’re thinking about!!”

“Any louder and I think the whole island might hear you.” Axel said. Sora and Roxas both blushed. Riku smiled as he looked at Sora. The merman caught that smile, blushing all the way to his ears.

“C’mon,” Riku said. “We can talk about what is considered sex later.” Axel laughed as Sora pouted at Riku.

“You’re teasing me again.” Sora mumbled. Riku smiled as he held out his hand towards Sora. Sora didn’t hesitate in taking his hand as they continued on their way up the hill. Axel looked at Roxas who caught his look. He growled and glared at Roxas.

“I’ll hurt you,” Roxas threatened as he walked past him. Axel grinned as he walked besides Roxas. “I swear, I will.”

Axel chuckled but kept his thoughts to himself for now. Roxas and Sora were both embarrassed enough.

“Hey, I see Zexion.” Axel said as the neared the top. Sora looked away from their clasped hands as he looked to where Axel was waving. The guy ignored Axel’s wave and Sora could tell he wasn’t exactly happy to be there. Sora looked at him closely.

He was taller than Roxas, maybe somewhere close to Riku’s height. His steel-blue hair reminded Sora of a few corals in the coral reef back in his garden. When they were just a few feet away from him, Sora felt a strange feeling. He looked back at Roxas and they shared a glance. Roxas felt it to. Sora looked back at the guy as he recognized the feeling. It was the same feeling of recognition when he saw that blonde-haired guy a few days ago. Sora recognized him but he’d never seen him in his life.

“When’d you get back?” Axel asked.

“Early this morning,” Zexion said. He handed over Riku’s blade. It was a scary looking blade of dark blue and red. The tip curved just a bit with a large blue stone that looked like an eye near the handle. “I need to know since you sounded urgent over the phone. What’s going on?”

As he said that, Zexion looked directly at Sora. Sora felt uneasy. Not because it felt like Zexion was examining him but because he couldn’t shake off that feeling that he knew him.

“It’s too long to explain--”

“In simple words, Riku likes another species.” Axel interrupted. Riku glared at him but nodded to confirm.

“Did you see two guys coming from this direction head into town?” Riku asked.

“Did one have a scar across his nose?” Zexion asked.

“Yeah,” Sora said. “That’s Leon. Was Cid with him too? Umm, he looks like…well, he looks stubborn.”

Behind him, Roxas laughed, “He’s the very definition of stubborn.”

A quick smile appeared on Zexion’s face but just as soon as it appeared, it vanished. Sora caught the smile and for a second he thought that smile was agreeing to what Roxas said. It could’ve but it quickly disappeared. Zexion looked back at Sora and Sora looked away.

He let go of Riku’s hand as he moved away. He grabbed Roxas’s hand and stepped away from the other three, far enough that Zexion wouldn’t hear. Riku gave Sora a curious look as they meet eye contact.

“Wait just a minute,” Sora said to Riku before he turned to Roxas. “Please tell me you feel that?” Sora whispered to him.

“That he feels familiar.” Roxas said. Sora vigorously nodded.

“But I’ve never seen him before. Have you?”

“No but maybe it’s nothing.” Roxas said. Sora shook his head as he turned around. He caught Zexion staring at him. It wasn’t a threatening stare, more of an amusing one.

“I don’t think so. I had the same feeling when I saw another human before. He was kinda tall and blond but when I saw him I felt this same feeling so I don’t think it’s nothing!”

Roxas chuckled at how worked up Sora was becoming, “Sora. Calm down first. We’ll deal with one thing at the time and that’s making sure Leon doesn’t find us. We’ll deal with this situation later.” Sora nodded but he still felt uneasy. He didn’t know whether it was a good sign or not. In any case, Sora pushed it out of mind as he went back to Riku. Sora stayed beside Riku as he stared at everything but Zexion.

“We’re going to the dorms,” Riku said. “I think that’s the safest place we’ll be.”

“Alright, let’s get going.” Axel said as he began walking forward. Roxas exchanged a look with Sora before he jogged up to Axel’s side. Sora snuck a peek at Zexion and he caught Zexion staring at him with more of an examining look. Sora shuddered as he stepped closer to Riku. Something felt off.

\------

When Cloud woke up in the morning, the first thing he realized was that he was alone. Not that it was unusual to him.

Sephiroth often had to teach in the morning. He looked at the empty spot beside him. Cloud stretched his arms across. If Sephiroth was still in bed, his outstretched arm would be across Sephiroth’s chest. Cloud sighed as he slowly sat up.

Waking up alone wasn’t unusual but, for some odd reason, today it felt weird. Cloud yawned as he ran his fingers through his mussed hair. After looking around the room, Cloud laid back down. No matter how many years passed, he always liked staying in bed with the velvet soft comforter barely covering his naked body. He stretched his body out and sighed contently.

“I can’t stay in bed all day.” Cloud said to himself.

He sat up again and stood up. He walked around in Sephiroth’s room in complete comfort. He knew how everything worked and where everything was. Sephiroth didn’t have to worry about Cloud being alone in his house in fear of his house being destroyed. Cloud grabbed a towel draped over a chair as he headed to the bathroom.

Once he was showered and dressed, Cloud left the house. He slowly walked towards the general direction of the college. He let his mind wander and his thought lead him to his previous life.

This wasn’t unusual either. He often thought about the sea but today his thoughts lead him to a particular person he had no desire to think about. Several people actually. His Guardian was one of the people. The other person, the only person his desire to not think about was less than the others, was someone Cloud wished he didn’t want to remember.

Cloud sighed as he gently shook his head. _It’s been away since I thought about you Squall, why are you in my thoughts?_

At the college, Cloud walked into the science building. He headed to one of the classrooms on the first floor. It was a lecture hall he was looking for. As Cloud got closer to the lecture hall, he could hear Sephiroth’s voice echo through the empty halls. He walked up to the open door and peered inside. Sephiroth didn’t look at him but Cloud was sure he was noticed. He leaned against the frame of the doors as Sephiroth continued to talk.

“What is one plus one?” Sephiroth asked the class.

“Two.” A student replied. Cloud softly smiled as he realized what Sephiroth was up to. Cloud and the students watched as Sephiroth held up two plates; one in each hand.

“One plate,” Sephiroth held up one hand. “Plus one more plate,” He held up his other hand. He paused, his eyes scanning his confused class as he smashed the plates against each other.

Every student flinched as they watched the tiny shards of the broken plates clatter down all over Sephiroth’s desk.

“Equals hundreds of fragmented shards of the plates. Take a tiny drop of water and another drop of water. Add them together and you get one slightly bigger drop of water. One plus one can mean one or it can mean thousands.”

None of his students spoke. It was as if they’ve been given a big wakeup call or maybe it was the fact that their professor just smashed together two plates. Whatever the reason, they were certainly thinking. “Alright, you know your assignment. “ Sephiroth said as their dismissal. Cloud walked in as the students walked out and took a seat in Sephiroth’s chair.

“You like to smash things a lot, don’t you.” Cloud stated.

“It gets their attention.” Sephiroth replied as he gathered his things. He had another class soon in a different room.

“You just like to smash things,” Cloud said. He braced his arms against the steel desk and he laid his head on top of his arms. “That idea is interesting.”  Sephiroth smirked as he leaned over Cloud. A curtain of silver blocked Cloud’s view from the classroom. Cloud reached out and touched a long strand of hair as he felt Sephiroth speak softly into his ear.

“Did you miss me that much that you couldn’t wait until the afternoon?” Sephiroth’s voice made Cloud shiver.

“Do I need a reason?” Cloud asked. He looked at Sephiroth’s green eye; piercing green eyes that missed nothing. Cloud lifted his head up and kissed him.

“I’ll take that as a reason.” Sephiroth said.

“Zexion should be back today. I’ll go busy myself with him until then.” Cloud said. He stood up but was reluctant to leave. Sephiroth noticed. He gathered his things and headed after Cloud. All his students were already gone so as Cloud was near the door, Sephiroth kicked the door close. He pinned Cloud against the door.

“You’re not telling me something.” Sephiroth said. Oh yeah, Sephiroth definitely didn’t miss anything. But then, they’ve been together for a long time now so it would’ve been strange not to have noticed anything. Cloud half smiled as he leaned his head against Sephiroth’s chest.

“Today feels weird,” He said. “Hurry with your classes so it can feel normal again.”

Sephiroth smirked as he lifted Cloud’s head up by his chin, “You’ve been spoiled.”

“I know,” Cloud said. Sephiroth kissed him before he opened the door. “I’m going to find Zexion.” Sephiroth nodded and he watched Cloud walk away before he headed to his next class.

Cloud left the building and he headed to the park. He pulled out his cell phone and was about to dial Zexion’s number when he felt it. He immediately knew what it was. He couldn’t actually hear it. The sound was too far away, coming from the direction of the sea but he could feel it.

Cloud looked towards the direction. It was just across the park and moving. Cloud headed towards that direction. There was definitely something off about today.

\------

“Sora, are you that nervous?” Roxas asked.

“Of course!” Sora said.

He had begun to sing to himself to try and calm his racing heart and it had worked…until Roxas interrupted him. There was too much going on. With Leon and Cid after him, and the strange recognition of seeing Zexion even though Sora never seen him in his life, his mind was becoming full with unanswered questions. Singing was what he had left to calm himself. Even Riku’s occasional reassuring squeeze wasn’t quite enough.

He glanced at Zexion, who was talking to Axel, and more unanswered questions invaded his brain. Sora groaned as he leaned his head against Riku’s back.

“Sora?”  Riku asked.

“My head hurts.” Sora said.

“We’re almost there. Once we make it past the park, we’ll be okay.”

“It’s lucky that we haven’t run into Leon or Cid.” Axel said.

“Shush! Don’t say that Axel,” Sora said. “You’ll jinx us.”

“Axel has a knack for saying the wrong things at the wrong time.” Zexion said.

Sora looked at him then away. He turned his attention to his surroundings. It really was a beautiful day despite the danger they were in. There was a warm breeze gently blowing through the air and rustled the leaves in the tree. He found it odd that there wasn’t any one enjoying the nice day.

“Why is the park empty? It’s nice out.” Sora said.

“It’s the midterms this week. Everyone’s inside studying their asses off.” Axel said.

“And why aren’t you?” Roxas asked. Axel grinned as he walked behind Zexion and hugged Roxas from behind.

“Awww, could it be that you care?” Axel said.

“Who said you could touch me, you perverted human?!” Roxas yelled. Axel laughed as he held on to Roxas.

“I told you I was saving your life from that poisonous eel.”

“So it was a poisonous eel now?” Roxas said dryly. Axel chuckled as walked with his arm around Roxas’s shoulder for a while.

Sora smiled and he began to sing again. It relaxed him as they walked. When he was halfway through his melody, Riku suddenly stopped. Sora bumped into Riku and Axel came to stand next to Riku so that his view was blocked to what was ahead of him.

Confused, Sora peeked over Riku’s shoulder and every unanswered question fled his brain. Leon and Cid were ahead of them, staring them down.

“Crap.” Riku muttered. Leon and Cid looked different in human clothes but it didn’t change the fact that they meant business. As always, Leon’s face was expressionless but it wasn’t his usual expressionless face. He was angry.

Riku tensed up and he held up his weapon.

“Listen human,” Leon said as they walked close enough to where Riku and the others could hear him. Hand over Sora.” Riku said nothing, neither did Axel. Sora took a deep breath in as he walked around Riku. He stood in front of Riku as he stared at Leon.

“I don’t want to leave, Leon.” Sora said.

“You don’t know what you’re saying, Sora.” Leon replied. Sora frowned as he glared at Leon.

“Don’t say that because I do know what I’m saying. Quit belittling me.

“Sora, I am not--” Leon took a step forward. Riku grabbed the back of Sora’s shirt and he pulled him back. Axel moved over as he blocked their view on Sora. Cid glanced at Leon.

“They sure are a determined pair of humans.” Cid said. He looked back at them and he noticed Zexion standing off to the side. Cid grinned as he nudged Leon.

“We’re not here to talk about the past, Cid.” Leon said as he grabbed the handle of his blade.

“I know, I know,” Cid grabbed his spear and held his weapon in front of him. “Let’s grab the squirts and go then.” While they talked, Riku was slowly backing away from Leon and Cid.

“Don’t let go, okay?” Riku whispered to Sora as he grabbed his hand. Sora nodded. Riku exchanged looks with Axel and he nodded as well. Roxas looked up at Axel. Axel gave him a reassuring smile but Roxas didn’t completely buy it. They were in trouble.

“We’ll ask once more,” Leon said. “Let go of Sora and Roxas.”

“No.”

Riku and Axel suddenly ran in opposite direction. Axel took Roxas with him and Riku ran with Sora.

Leon ran after Riku while Cid chased Axel. While Sora was used to walking, running was something entirely different. He had to concentrate hard on not tripping over his own feet. Riku noticed so he stopped running and he put himself in front of Sora.

His only other choice was facing Leon head on. Sora grabbed his necklace and quickly pulled it off. Before Leon could notice, Sora slipped it into Riku’s back pocket. Riku felt it but he kept his focus on Leon as he came to a stop a few feet in front of him.

“Sora, stop playing around,” Leon said. “It’s time you came back home.”

Sora stepped aside, still close to Riku so he could look at Leon. “I’m safer here than back in the palace.”

Leon sighed. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy to bring Sora back but he had hoped Sora wouldn’t like the humans too much. He ignored Sora and he focused on Riku.

“Hand him over.” Leon said. Riku glared at him at instead of speaking. Leon could tell he wasn’t going to give up that easily. Without wasting another breath, he rushed towards Riku.

Sora backed away as Riku raised his weapon. He deflected Leon’s attack, causing him to leave his right side open. Riku attacked, swinging his sword towards Leon exposed side. Leon almost smirked as he easily brought his sword around to block the attack. The force of the blow sent Riku sprawling towards the ground.

Riku quickly recovered and he was back on his feet, facing Leon with a look that could kill. Sora had scrambled away and stood behind the nearest tree. Riku growled and rushed forward. He didn’t want to admit it, and he didn’t, not verbally, but Leon was a strong fighter. The most he could do was injury him enough to take Sora further away.

Riku thrust his sword towards Leon. Leon parried his attack and every other attack. Riku grunted but kept pushing forward. He attacked his left and right side, waiting for an opening. Leon was definitely a good fighter. Riku kept on attacking, each of his blows being parried until he finally saw an opening. Leon was becoming used to Riku’s forward attacks.

Big mistake.

When Leon thought Riku was going to attack, he didn’t. Riku turned his sword around and thrust the handle roughly against Leon’s hand. Leon grunted his pain as he dropped his blade. Riku didn’t mind the large gash across his palm as he quickly knocked Leon down. They both fell and Riku rolled away.

He stood up and grabbed his own weapon then kicked Leon’s weapon away from the merman’s grasp. Before Leon could stand up on his feet, he felt the sharp tip of Riku’s blade against his throat.

“He’s staying here.” Riku said as he glared at Leon.

“Are ya sure about that?”

Riku looked behind him. Panic and surprise flooded him as he saw Sora on the ground. Cid bent down and picked up Sora whom was unconscious. Riku looked back at Leon as the next emotion to flood him was anger.

“What the hell did you do!?” He yelled at him.

“He’s asleep, human.” Cid said. Riku kept his sword at Leon’s throat as he glared at Cid.

“Let him go,” Riku said. “He doesn’t want to go with you.”

“It doesn’t matter, boy. Sora doesn’t belong here nor does he belong to you.”

“He doesn’t want to go.” Riku growled.

While Riku was distracted with Cid, Leon picked up his legs and rammed them into Riku’s stomach. Riku grunted in pain as he fell back. He coughed and wrapped his arms around his stomach as pain ricocheted through his body.

Leon took his time getting up. Riku wasn’t going to get up anytime soon. Leon walked to his blade and picked it up then he walked over to Cid. He noticed Roxas standing behind Cid but he wouldn’t look at him in the eye.

“How’d it go with the tall one?” Leon said.

“The kid was tough. I’ve never seen weapons like he had,” Cid grinned as he handed Sora over to Leon. “It’s a damn shame I’ll never get a chance to fight him again.”

“You found this fun, didn’t you.” Leon said.

"You gotta enjoy your line of work, Squall.” Cid said as they began walking. “Not all humans are powerless.”

Roxas remained quiet. He looked at Sora’s sleeping face then at Riku. Riku was groaning as he struggled to get on his feet. The kick to his stomach was stronger than he had thought. He could barely stay stable on all fours, let alone just two feet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw them walking away with Sora.

“Dammit!” He yelled. He just couldn’t get up. Leon looked back at him. Riku really was struggling just to get on his feet.

“I think I might’ve kicked him too hard.” Leon said to Cid.

“You have to remember that humans are much more fragile. Did you kick him with both legs?” Cid asked. Leon nodded. “I amazed he’s even conscious.”

“Let’s go.” Leon said.

“Squall?” Leon stopped. He heard a voice he wished he didn’t have to hear him. He looked behind him and, sure enough, Cloud was there.

Cloud eyes looked him over, taking in everything from Sora in Leon’s arm to Riku laying face down on the ground. Further behind them, he noticed Zexion watching the scene. “I heard a voice and…what are you doing?”

“I’m stopping history.” Leon said. Cloud looked confused as he slowly thought about what he meant. He looked at Riku and back to Sora before the words finally clicked.

“You mean…”

“He’s your successor,” Leon said as he looked at Sora. The realization of his words stunned Cloud into silence.

The sound he heard was from Sora, the familiar sound and melody that he thought he would never hear again. “That one is injured. He should be taken care of soon.”

Without saying another word to Cloud, Leon and the others left.


	13. Chapter 13

It was too fast. Much too fast and sudden for Cloud to even immediately grasp what had happened.

Seeing Leon brought back faded memories. They weren’t particularly bad memories but they weren’t exactly good memories either. Honestly, as he had watched Riku fight Leon, it just brought back memories of a similar yet different scene. But, what really had stunned Cloud was Sora. The voice that lured him to the park, the voice he hadn’t heard in years, belonged to that small brunet.

_He’s your successor…_

The voice he gave up now belonged to the brunet.

_I’m stopping history…_

Realization hit him. Dear God, Leon really was trying to stop them.

Riku’s barking cough brought him back from his mind and thoughts. A splatter of blood colored the grass before Riku. Riku’s skin was turning paler. He weakly struggled to at least sit down on the grass. Instead, he coughed up more blood and collapsed; his breath barely there.

“Zexion!” Cloud yelled, turning towards him.

“I already called them.” Zexion said as he pulled his cell phone away from his ear. Behind Zexion, Cloud could see Axel walking towards them. At least he was walking; battered up by the looks of it but walking. In one hand, Axel was carrying his chakrams. In the other, Cloud recognized Cid’s spear now broken in half. When Riku coughed again, and another blotch of blood spilled over the grass, Axel dropped his battle trophy and weapons aside as he rushed towards Riku.

“Holy shit! What the hell happened?” Axel asked.

“Don’t worry,” Zexion said. Somewhere far off, the sound of sirens echoed. “If he’s still conscious then he’ll be fine.”

“You have a funny way of reassuring people,” Axel dryly said. “Why is he coughing blood?”

“He was kicked.” Cloud said as he stared at the ocean.

“I still don’t get it?” Axel said. Zexion sighed as he brushed back a stray lock of hair. The sirens were getting louder.

“It’s because Riku was kicked by a merman,” Zexion said. “Do you think their tails are made of fat? It’s pure muscle and in human form, if they use their full strength, it’s the equivalent of being kicked by a horse or a raging bull.” For a moment, Axel stared at Zexion as if he grew a second head. The wail of the ambulance was getting closer.

“How do you know that?” Axel asked.

“I’m a merman.” Zexion said as if he was telling Axel he should’ve already known he was a merman.

Axel stared at him some more because it just seemed like the only thing to do. The way Zexion revealed it kind of threw Axel off. With the sirens blaring so loudly, the ambulance screeched to a halt and the paramedics scrambled out.

“Is he one too?” Axel asked as he looked at Cloud.

Cloud focused back to reality around him. He shook his head as he looked at Axel. “I was the former Pincoy.” Axel blinked, and then blinked again before he decided he would deal with everything else later. Their weird confessions would’ve been more…shocking if it weren’t for Riku coughing blood. He gathered Riku into his arms and stood up. Riku gritted his teeth as pain lanced through his stomach.

“Fuck! Asshole!! Can’t you be gentle?” Riku yelled, gripping his sides as a round of dry, painful sounding, choppy coughs assaulted him. Axel walked towards the paramedics as they brought over the mobile bed.

“Hey, Zexion! Do me a favor and take my chakrams and spoils of battle back to the dorm? I’m riding in the ambulance!” Zexion vaguely nodded towards Axel’s direction as they loaded Riku into the back of the ambulance.

They heard the door shut and the car start as the ambulance drove away. The wail of the sirens gradually faded until Zexion and Cloud were left in the unnatural silence of the park. Cloud walked away from the blood stained grass as he focused, once again, towards the sea.

“Is he really going to stop history?” Cloud asked as he looked at Zexion.

“I don’t know,” Zexion said as he gathered Axel’s weapon and Cid’s broken spear. “You know him better than I do.” Cloud sighed as he turned his back to the sea.

“I want to say he won’t but…it’s only been 17 years. Leon won’t change that much.”

\------

At the entrance of the palace, Naminé and Kairi were nervously waiting for Leon and Cid’s arrival.

When they left in the morning, they said they were going to bring Sora back from the island. That confused them because they were under the impression that Sora was kidnapped. Then, while Leon and Cid were gone, Wakka and a few other guards took all of Sora’s possessions in their cave they shared and took it to the cave connected to Leon’s.

So, they waited nervously for Leon and some answers. Wakka was also waiting, watching the girls fret about nervously.

“Girls, you should relax.” Wakka said.

“That’s kind of hard at the moment,” Kairi said as she kept looking out the palace entrance every few minutes. “We thought he was kidnapped then Leon just tells us they’re going to pick up Sora from the island. Not to mention the fact that Leon’s been acting totally strange since they stopped searching for Sora in the other Kingdoms a few days ago. Oh, and then while they’re gone, you guys move Sora’s stuff to the room connected to Leon’s!” She turned to look at Wakka with a blaming glare. “Would you relax if this was happening to you?”

Naminé swam over to Kairi and held her hand, pulling her away from Wakka. Kairi calmed down just a bit but still sent one last agitated glare to Wakka before she gently squeezed Naminé’s hand.

Normally, Wakka would’ve told them what was happening but he couldn’t this time. Whenever Kairi tried to get an answer, Wakka would shake his head or not answer. It was frustrating for the girls because for once Naminé and Kairi didn’t know what was going on.

“C’mon, you’re going to drive yourself ragged if you keep worrying.”  Naminé said.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on when it concerns Sora.” Kairi said.  Naminé nodded, knowing exactly how Kairi felt. They held hands as they waited for Leon and Cid’s return. They didn’t speak again. Not until they saw the swimming figure of Leon and Cid.

Immediately, Kairi wanted to rush towards them but Naminé held her back. They exchanged a look and Kairi waited, at least until they were closer. When they were at the entrance, Kairi quickly rushed over to Leon. Sora was in Leon’s arms, sleeping.

“W-what happened? Leon, is he okay?” Kairi swam towards Leon and breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed he wasn’t physically hurt.

“He’s fine,” Cid said. “He’ll wake up soon enough,” Kairi looked at Cid but her worry didn’t leave. She backed away from them. “What are you not telling us?” Leon ignored her as he looked at Wakka.

“Is his room ready?” He asked.

“Yeah, there wasn’t much to move.”

“Alright,” Leon said. “I’m taking Sora there now. I’ll meet up with you in a few to report in.” Leon said to Cid. Cid nodded then turned his attention to Roxas.

“Let’s go hear your side of the story then.” Cid said. Kairi glared at Leon’s retreating back.

“Leon! We know.” She said. Leon stopped swimming but he didn’t turn around. Cid exchanged a look at Wakka but he shrugged. He was just as confused.

“There’s something off,” Naminé said. “We found an article in the palace’s library that didn’t really belong there. I think it probably belonged in the private documents section. It was just simple report about a Pincoy and Guardian the date was set back about 20 years ago. It couldn’t have been about Sora because he wasn’t born yet. Was there another Pincoy?” She asked.

It was quiet and they had no way of knowing if Leon would even answer.

“We’ll tell you two later.” Leon said before he continued on his way.

Leon swam to his room with Sora in tow. Two extra guards were stationed at the entrance. They greeted him as Leon passed by. Stationed in front of the entrance of Leon’s room were two extra guards. They saluted Leon as he swam closer.

“You two are both stationed at the entrance,” Leon said as he pointed to another entrance just a few feet away. They both nodded and swam over to the other entrance as Leon entered his room. Leon’s cave had an adjoined cave; almost like a two rooms connected by a door. He swam to the joining cave and looked around at Sora’s various trinkets.

Sora didn’t have much. He just collected and kept various things and momentums Kairi and Naminé would bring him. Beside the bed, there was a star shaped fruit sealed in an air bubble just floating nearby. Leon looked away as he swam over to Sora’ bed. He gently laid him down.

Sora looked peaceful while he slept and Leon wondered if it would stay the same once he woke up. Leon sighed and left, leaving from the entrance of Sora’s new room.

“He’s not allowed out; no matter what.  Naminé, Kairi, I, and the other Guardians are the only one who can visit him.”

“Yes, sir!” They replied. Leon nodded and left them to their job.

\------

> _Cloud always had to wait for nightfall. It was easier, sneaking out the palace when Leon was asleep. Cid’s vigorous training would always tire him out. With him asleep, Cloud wouldn’t have to answer any question he knew Leon would ask._
> 
> _Cloud swam out of his room; the guards stationed at the entrance of his cave saluted him. Cloud swam through the corridors, guards saluting as they watched him pass by._
> 
> _“You’re going to see that human again.” A voice said behind him. Cloud flinched and he looked back. Zexion swam behind him, indifferent to the situation as always._
> 
> _“You already know the answer.” Cloud said. Zexion sighed and followed._
> 
> _“Why don’t you sneak out when Leon’s awake?” Zexion asked. Cloud remained quiet. When they exited the palace, Cloud picked up speed as he swam towards the surface._
> 
> _“I don’t want to bother him.” Cloud said._
> 
> _“Liar,” Zexion replied. “You know, just as well as I know, that Leon wouldn’t approve.”_
> 
> _“…”_
> 
> _“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Zexion said. “I’ll just busy myself while you play with your silver-haired human. Next time, tell me when you want to play ditch. Easier for me not having to hunt you down.” After that, they didn’t say much._
> 
> _Leon definitely wouldn’t have approved considering their relationship. Cid, his primary Guardian, was always busy so Zexion was the only other Guardian he had that would accompany him. Besides, it was nothing serious. Going to the island, meeting the human, everything…it was just a distraction._
> 
> _Cloud closed his eyes and felt the water rush over his skin. They swam together in silence, Zexion always on the alert. Cloud merely let his mind wander as basic instincts told him to swim on and enjoy the pleasant feeling. It wasn’t long before they were neared the surface._
> 
> _Cloud slowed down. He surfaced and looked at the island. The only light was provided by the full moon. Zexion surfaced beside him and Cloud noticed a tall figure leaning against the pole of a wooden raft._
> 
> _Cloud began swimming towards the shore, Zexion following a few feet behind. When Cloud felt his fin brush against the sandy shallow banks, the crystal on Cloud’s necklace glowed. His brilliant tail of a green-blue color transformed into a pair of legs. The cloth that Cloud had taken was already wrapped around his waist, just covering what needed to be covered._
> 
> _On the beach, Sephiroth was watching. He really liked that cloth on Cloud. Watching Cloud walk towards him, his body dripping wet and those bright green-blues eyes trained on Sephiroth, he wanted nothing more than to take Cloud away._
> 
> _Of course, he couldn’t…at least not at the moment._
> 
> _“Hi, Sephiroth.” Cloud greeted as he neared the human._
> 
> _“I’m giving you two hours,” Zexion called out as he headed towards the other side of the island. “I’m not negotiating this time, Sephiroth, so enjoy the generous two hours.”_
> 
> _“Did something happen?” Sephiroth asked._
> 
> _Cloud shook his head as he went to stand beside Sephiroth, “Nothing important. He’s just…upset that I keep sneaking out while my Guardian-in-training is asleep.”_
> 
> _“What about the other one?”_
> 
> _“Cid? He’s probably off resting before he starts terrorizing another batch of soldiers in training.” Cloud said. Cloud cringed at the thought of what those trainees would have to go through. Sephiroth looked over at Cloud. He took Cloud’s arm and pulled Cloud towards him._
> 
> _Cloud gasped in surprise but he calmed down when he felt Sephiroth’s arms around his waist. Any thought immediately vanished. Sephiroth had that effect on him. Every thought just backed off into the back of Cloud’s mind._
> 
> _“This is a surprise.” Cloud said as he rested his head against Sephiroth’s chest. Usually, Cloud was the one who would hug him first._
> 
> _“Stop thinking about other people while you’re here,” Sephiroth said. Cloud smiled softly. For a second, Sephiroth sounded jealous, which was a rarity all in itself as Sephiroth hardly ever sounded jealous. “Two hours isn’t enough so what do you want to do?” Cloud’s smile dropped. Two hours really wasn’t enough. He gripped the back of Sephiroth’s shirt as he stared at the sand._
> 
> _“Make me forget about my responsibilities.” Cloud asked as he looked up at Sephiroth. He was going to regret this, he knew himself well enough to know that it’ll gnaw at his consciousness. But, he didn’t care. Not at the moment. For two hours, Cloud wanted to forget about everything but Sephiroth._
> 
> _“Gladly.” Sephiroth said as he saw the conflict in Cloud’s eyes. Cloud raised his arms and wrapped them around Sephiroth’s neck as his silver-haired human kissed him._
> 
> _Two hours was nothing but a distraction._

\------

“I hate hospitals,” Axel mumbled as he sat in the waiting room with Cloud and Zexion. When Riku reached the hospitals, he was quickly rushed to the emergency room. The doctor had said Riku had internal bleeding but Riku’s been in the operating room for a few hours now. How bad could it have been?

Axel was getting antsy. He tried sitting still but, as usual, that got boring fast and there was no way he’ll even considering touching those generic magazines splayed over the small table. “I really hate this place.”

“Then leave.” Zexion said. He was getting annoyed with Axel’s restlessness.

“No,” Axel said as he looked at Zexion. “Besides, I have questions for you.” Axel grabbed one of the chairs pressed against the white walls. He dragged it towards Zexion and Cloud and set the chair in front of them. He turned the chair around and straddled it.

“So…you two are mermen?” Axel asked.

“Yeah.” Zexion said as Cloud nodded.

“How?”

“Well, when a mommy mermaid loves a daddy merman--” Zexion started.

“Stop being a smartass.” Axel said, though he chuckled.

“What do you want to know?” Zexion said.

“Let me rephrase the question,” Axel said. “Why are you here?”

“I can’t tell you.” Zexion said. That aggravated Axel even more than he already was.

“Why not?”

“I’m not going to tell it twice,” Zexion said as he looked at the solid white doors that led to the operating room. “Riku needs to hear it.” Axel groaned in frustration as he leaned forward against the back of the chair.

“Aquatic bastard,” Axel mumbled, listlessly swinging his arms by his side. He glanced at Cloud, who had the look of remembering something from long ago. Axel stayed quiet as he stared at Cloud. His face was expressionless but Axel could almost see the thoughts reflect in Cloud’s oddly colored eyes. “There’s some sort of complicated story, isn’t there.”

Cloud pulled away from his thoughts as he looked at Axel’s inquiring eyes. It wasn’t a complicated story at all. It was a difficult, maybe, but not complicated.

“Depends on who you’re asking.”

\------

Sora was starting to wake up but he felt odd.

First of all, he couldn’t feel Riku. When they slept together, Riku always held Sora in his arms. Sora liked that feeling. He yawned and opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of the cave. He lay there, still half asleep, before he realized he was staring at the roof of a _cave_. He wasn’t in a human room.

Sora quickly sat up and noticed his legs were gone. He had his glistening blue tail back. He wasn’t even in the room he shared with Kairi and Naminé. It was smaller and all his belongings were with him. Sora looked around and noticed the room he was in connected to another room. Being cautious, Sora swam over to the connected room. It was much bigger but he didn’t recognize it. Not until he saw a blade mounted on the wall above the bigger bed.

“Leon…”

Sora suddenly recalled the fight between Riku and Leon. Sora remembered that Riku was losing but then he realized what Riku was aiming for. Axel told him before that Riku was a stealthy fighter. Then, everything just blacked out.

Sora frowned as he swam back into the other room. He swam to the entrance but an invisible force prevented him from leaving. Sora backed away, confused. He stretched out his hands and felt a barrier covering the entrance. Sora grumbled and swam back to the other room but that entrance was also blocked.

“Leon!” Sora yelled as he banged his hands against the invisible barrier. A soldier appeared and Sora stopped banging.

“Where’s Leon?” He asked, becoming quickly mad at Leon.

“Guardian Leon is not here at the moment, Pincoy. We can send for him.” The soldier said.

“No,” Sora quickly replied. “I don’t want to see him.”

“The Sirena and Pincoya requested that we inform them when you wake up. Shall I go get them?” The soldier asked.

Sora nodded, “Yeah, I miss them.”

“Right away, Pincoy.” The soldier saluted Sora before he swam away. Sora pressed his hands against the barrier and noticed another soldier stationed over at the other entrance. Sora swam back to the smaller room and swam up to the entrance.

“Excuse me but why are there barriers on the entrance?” Sora asked.

“It’s a request by Leon, Pincoy.” The soldier replied. Sora nodded and swam away. He sat down on the bed and began to think. Riku must’ve lost against Leon. He felt defeated in a way. He wasn’t aware of his surrounding and hadn’t noticed Cid. It had to be him. Axel must’ve lost against Cid. That was the only reason Sora could think of. Sora sighed and threw himself back on the bed.

“I didn’t get to say bye.” Sora said softly. Even if he did get the chance, Sora doubted he would’ve wanted to say bye in the first place. Sora closed his eyes and wondered what Riku was doing.

What happened after he blacked out? Was Riku okay? Maybe Leon went easy on him. Sora opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

“I doubt it.” Sora said to himself.

Sora closed his eyes again as he thought about Riku. He tried to distract himself but, being alone again, he felt Riku’s absence. Sora felt more lonely than usual. He realized he spent most of his time with Riku. Apart from the times Riku had to go to his classes or when Axel would take him away to annoy Riku, they were never apart for long. Sora sighed and he rolled over onto his stomach.

It was scary just how lonely Sora felt. He began to think if he always felt this alone.

“Sora?”

Sora perked his head up.  Naminé and Kairi were able to swim into the room. Sora grinned and he picked himself up as he rushed over to them. He missed them so much. Kairi and Naminé smiled as Sora fretted who he should hug first.  Naminé and Kairi chuckled.  Naminé moved closer to Kairi and she slipped her arm around Kairi’s waist to form half of a hug. Sora laughed and swam into their half hug, completing it.

“Don’t be mad but I didn’t know I missed you guys this much.” Kairi laughed as she playfully ruffled Sora’s hair.

“So you had that much fun.” Kairi said as she pulled away. Sora smiled and nodded.

“There’s so much to do up there, and the people I met were really interesting.” Sora grinned as he swam back to the bed. Kairi and Naminé joined him, Kairi sitting to his left and Naminé to his right.

“What about your human?” Kairi asked. Sora stared at his fin before he answered. Before, he would’ve argued that Riku wasn’t his. Now, he wished Riku was.

“I like his hair,” Sora said softly. “He’s snarky and a bit rude but he’s nice at the same time.”

“Hmmm, that’s kind of hard to picture.”  Naminé said.

“He likes to tease me a lot,” Sora said to her. “I noticed that he smiles a lot more when he’s with me. Even though he teases me, I know he doesn’t mean it in a mean way.”

“Kind of like Kairi.”  Naminé said.

“Hey!” Kairi shouted. Sora laughed and he leaned his head against Kairi’s shoulder.

“But you’re Kairi,” Sora said. “Riku is himself. He knows what I am, my role in the Kingdom, and he doesn’t treat me any differently. He treats me as if I was normal. I like that. I like him and…” Sora stopped.

He didn’t just like Riku. It was more than that. Yes, he did like Riku. He liked his hair, his eyes, his teasing matter, everything. He did like Riku but, combining all the parts he liked about Riku something more than like materialized. Sora didn’t recognize it while he was with Riku because, well, Riku was there by his side.

It was different now.

There was an uncertainty that Sora might never get to see Riku again. That thought made his heart flutter painfully. More than that, more than the thought of realizing Sora might never see him again was the fact that Sora had fallen in love with him. Sora picked his head up as the thought pierced his heart.

“Naminé…Kairi…I like him.” Sora softly said as he stared at his fin.

“Sora?”  Naminé said.

Concerned, she picked herself up and placed herself in front of Sora. She leaned down and tilted his head up. He stared at her but he wasn’t really looking at her. His eyes were oddly blank.  Naminé waited until Sora eyes focused on her. The look in his focused eyes devastated her.  Naminé looked at Kairi and she immediately knew what had happened.

Sora’s throat tightened as he wrapped his arms around Naminé’s waist and rested his head against her stomach.

“Naminé…I like him. I fell in love with him,” Sora voice wavered. “Naminé, I love him but…he doesn’t know. I couldn’t tell him. Leon took me away and I just realized that I love him and I can’t tell him and he doesn’t know…”

Sora shut his eyes as he tried to hold back the tears though every part of his mind was telling him to let it out. He had to stay strong because crying meant the inevitable fate that he might never get to see Riku again.  Naminé and Kairi exchanged another look. They understood this too. Kairi nodded and Naminé ran his fingers through Sora’s hair.

“Sora, it’s okay.” She softly said.

Sora eyes burned as he tightened his hold around Naminé’s waist. “It’s not okay…Leon’s never going to let me go. Riku won’t know… Naminé, it hurts. I love Riku...”

He let himself cry and wail. The chances were so slim of ever seeing Riku. He had to cry until he couldn’t. He had to give himself this once chance of getting everything out; his realization, his frustration and the possibility that he might never see Riku again.

 


	14. Chapter 14

For two days, Leon couldn’t sleep in his own room. He couldn’t even enter his own room. Various Lion fishes would block the entrance. There wasn’t enough to physically block the wide entrance but they had their poisonous spine bared open in warning.

Only Naminé and Kairi could enter whenever they want without having to worry about the Lionfish. Sora hadn’t consciously called them, at least not the Lionfish. He did sing to the barracudas, octopi and other nearby sea creatures.

After Sora had realized his feelings for Riku, he wanted to be alone. He wanted both rooms to himself. He didn’t want to see Leon or have him anywhere close by. So, Sora sang a soft song in the ancient language. He tried to not pour his feelings into his voice but he usually became so immersed in singing that he would always forget. His dishearten feelings made the melodic song sad.

The guards stationed at the entrance had panicked. They’ve never heard their Pincoy sing with a sad tone before. Sora would’ve sung longer if it weren’t for a turtle that had nudged its head against Sora’s arm. Sora did stop and since then, Leon hadn’t been able to go inside his own room.

Leon stared at the entrance to his room. Inside, Sora was surrounded by various fishes. An octopus had settled on his head while the turtle that made Sora stop singing followed him.

“Sora, tell them to leave.” Leon said. Sora naturally ignored him. He sat down on Leon’s bed as he gently lifted the octopus off his head. The octopus wrapped its tentacles around Sora’s arms as one of its unblinking eyes stared right at him.

“Sir Octopus, I’ve been hurt,” Sora said to the octopus. He said it just loud enough for Leon to hear. “I need to recover, if that’s even possible, and that small room over there makes me feel trapped.” Leon sighed. He approached the entrance but all the Lionfish spread their poisonous spines wide and the barracudas threateningly swam behind them.

“Sora! Cut this out. You have to harvest your voice.” Sora frowned as Leon said that.

Sora wanted to scream at him. Instead, he sang softly, telling the fishes that he was well enough to be left alone. Only the octopus and turtle remained while all the rest swam away. Leon watched them leave until they were all gone.

 When he approached the entrance to his room, thinking it was safe, a bolt of concentrated magic rushed towards Leon. He managed to narrowly avoid it, but he could feel the searing hotness as it missed him. The bolt of magic struck the wall behind him; it cracked and chucks of rock exploded outward.

Leon looked behind him, at the massive crater the bolt of magic had left. The soldiers at the side of the entrance looked surprised and just a little bit nervous. They’ve never seen their Pincoy act violently. Leon look back into his room and saw the hardened gleam in Sora’s blue eyes as he glared at him.

“I’m not going to harvest my voice anymore if that’s all you care about” Sora said.

He swam back into the smaller room; a wisp of magic surrounded his body. That bolt of energy nearly drained away all his energy. Sora wanted to sleep and heal; if that was even possible while all his thoughts were on Riku.

Cid had seen everything as he had stopped by to check in on Sora. Cid looked at the crater on the tunnels’ wall and let out a whistle of appreciation. He swam next to Leon and patted him on the shoulder as he said, “That squirt has one hell of a defense.”

“What’re you doing?” Leon asked as he swam away.

“Can’t a man take a swim without being questioned,” Cid said. “Besides, I had to see if he was going to act like the other one.”

“Cloud never got that violent,” Leon said. Cid chuckled in his rough way as he caught up to Leon.

“Not until the very end but even then…he wasn’t as violent as this,” Cid said. “He’s gonna give you hell.” Cid said as he swam away.

Leon stopped as he turned around and look at behind him. He could hear the sad, soft voice of Sora’s drift through the tunnels.

\------

For the days that followed, Sora wouldn’t talk to Leon or Cid. It was dangerous to even try to get Sora out of the room to attempt to harvest his voice. It was especially dangerous for Leon.

Every time Leon tried to get Sora out of the room, he would always have to look out for that bolt of magic. He couldn’t let his guard down. Leon could only watch him from outside his room, trying to coax Sora out. After awhile, Leon decided to leave that issue alone for awhile. He would try again when Sora was calm.

“Troubling, ain’t he?” Cid said. Leon looked at Cid, waiting by the entrance to the garden. He could see Naminé, Kairi, and Roxas inside. Wakka was inside as well, talking to the girls.

“So, we’re going to tell them?” Leon said as he ignored Cid’s question.

“It’s now or Naminé will just keep asking.” Cid said, throwing Naminé a look. Naminé looked at Cid and smiled as she swam over to him.

“If we’ve been told in the first place, I wouldn’t have to keep asking.” She said.

“I heard ya,” Cid said. “Get your tail back in there and listen up well.” Naminé nodded as she swam back in with Cid right behind her. Leon followed them but he stayed near the entrance to the garden. Naminé, Kairi, and Roxas sat together on a large boulder as Cid floated in front of them.

“Alright now, as you girls figured out, the whole bit about Sora being the first Pincoy born in two hundred years is a lie.”

“Why?” Roxas asked.

“Hold your fin, squirt,” Cid said. “I’m getting there. The truth is that there was a Pincoy born to the East Kingdom about some thirty years ago. His name was Cloud and I was one of his Guardians. Leon was a Guardian-in-training at the time. The other Guardian was an exceptional magic wielder, Zexion.”

“Was he better than Wakka?” Kairi asked as she gave Wakka a teasing looking.

“Hey, I’m the best there is, ya.” Wakka said.

“They’re on par. Anyway, Cloud was the Pincoy at the time.” Cid said.

“How does that involve Leon and his weird behavior?” Kairi asked. Cid looked behind him at Leon. Leon sighed but he didn’t move from his spot. All eyes were on him.

“We were lovers.” Leon said. A silence followed that little confession. Naminé, Kairi, and Roxas were shocked but not for that fact that his lover was the Pincoy. They were shocked because he _had_ a lover.

Leon, the emotionless Guardian, _had_ a lover. That’s what really shocked them.

Leon sighed and continued on, “Then Cloud was captured by a human.” He said.

“Captured?” Roxas asked.

Cid laughed as he looked at Leon, “He’s just being bitter. Back then, the Pincoy wasn’t restricted as much as Sora is now. Cloud was free to go to the human surface and back as long as he had a Guardian with him. It wasn’t a problem.”

“It should’ve been.” Leon mumbled. Three pair of eyes stared at him in surprise. Did Leon actually complain like a kid? Cid laughed out loud at their astonished expression.

“Cloud fell in love with a human,” Cid said. That brought their attention back. “Cloud was level-headed and he knew his responsibility but Leon overreacted.”

“What did you do?” Naminé asked as he looked at Leon.

“Leon tried to keep Cloud prisoner, just like what he’s doing now to Sora.” Naminé, Kairi, and Roxas remained quiet as they thought over what they just heard. Naminé was the first to make the connections between then and now. She looked up at Leon who had the look of someone reliving the past in his eyes.

“Then what happened?” She asked as she stared at him.

“Things…happened,” Leon said, being as vague as possible. Cid didn’t interrupt him to clarify. The things that happened between them were just for Leon and Cloud. He wouldn’t force the details out of him.

“In the end, he left with Zexion. Cid and I left the East Kingdom and moved here. Three years later, Sora was born and I became his Guardian.”

\------

“Let’s go, you invalid!” Axel shouted as he took the wheelchair from the nurse and ran towards the elevator.

“You shouldn’t do that!” The nurse yelled after him. Axel merely laughed as he slowed down before the elevator. The nurse caught up and gave Axel a stern look before she took the handles of the wheelchair from him.

“Wait until we get outside.” Riku murderously mumbled as the elevator pinged open. The nurse pushed him in and pushed the button to the ground floor.

“You heard the Doctor. You gotta keep it cool and not strain yourself.” Axel said. He looked at the various buttons on the wall. He reached out and slid his fingers over various buttons that indicated different levels.

“Hey!” The nurse quickly scolded him. Riku laughed as the elevator doors slid open. She wheeled Riku to the entrance before she allowed him to finally get up. With one last reminder to not overdue it for the next few days, Riku left the hospital with Axel besides him.

Riku took a deep breath in; it was too stifling in the hospital. He never wanted to see a white-washed wall again.

“Feels good to be out, huh?” Axel said as they began walking.

“It feels good to breathe in air that doesn’t smell like antibacterial alcohol pads.” Riku said. “Where’s Zexion?”

“Back at the dorms with Cloud,” Axel said. “It’ll be story time soon.”

“Good. I need questions answered and they seem to be the only ones who might now what I need to do.” Riku said as he walked a bit faster.

“You’re going after him?” Axel asked.

“Damn right, I am. Unless I hear it from his mouth that he doesn’t want me near him, I’m going after him.”

“Scary.” Axel said as they crossed the street.

“Don’t you want Roxas back?” Riku asked as he looked at Axel. Axel had no comeback for that. He just looked away as Riku smirked.

“Yeah, well, you want Sora more.” Axel said.

“I know,” Riku said softly.

Riku spent the walk to the dorms thinking. In his mind, he relived the event. He felt a twang of pain reminisced through him as his body remembered the pain of being kicked. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the Sora’s necklace.

The gem glittered in the sunlight as he stared at it. Sora had to have meant something when he slipped it off before Leon noticed. Was Sora not supposed to have one? Riku sighed as he scratched his head. He slipped the necklace back into his pants pocket. It still irked him to know Sora was taken away just like that.

He thought he was winning or at least getting the advantage over Leon. He really hadn’t expected that kick to be so strong. Riku growled in frustration as he walked faster as soon as he saw the dorms. Inside, they both took the stairs to the second floor. Instead of heading for his room, Riku went to Demyx’s room.

“Where are you going?” Axel asked as he opened the door to their room. Riku remained silent as he opened the door to Demyx’s room. More like, he kicked it open. Demyx, in the process of pulling his pants on, fell over with his pants around his knees. He saw Zexion on Demyx’s bed with an amused smirk on his face as he watched Demyx struggle to pull his pants up.

“Where’s Cloud?” Riku asked him.

“He went back to Sephiroth.” Zexion said as he looked away from Demyx to look at Riku.

“Bring him here, we need to talk.” Riku said before he walked out of Demyx’s dorm. Riku went into his room, grabbed a towel and headed towards the showers. Demyx crawled to the door and watched him walk away.

He stood up and walked over to Zexion, promptly straddling his lover.

“What’s wrong with him?” Demyx asked.

“He lost Sora.” Zexion said.

Riku walked in to the showers and entered the first empty shower he saw. The bathroom was empty so it didn’t matter which he went in. He, consciously or not, went into the same shower stall where he first took a shower with Sora.

Riku took of his clothes as he turned the knob on. A cascade of ice cold water suddenly fell over his body. He clenched his teeth as the cold water hit his body but he didn’t move. The water quickly heated up. Riku sighed and tilted his head up as he ran his fingers through his wet hair.

“So they took Sora.”

Riku looked behind him. Demyx had his back to the shower door as he leaned against it. For a moment, Riku had the fleeting thought of aiming the shower nozzle towards Demyx. The thought passed as he turned back around.

“What do you want?” He asked.

“So, I guess you know some of the truth,” Demyx said. Riku remained quiet. “But, I think your situation is worse.” Riku sighed as he braced his hands against the tile wall in front of him.

“Are you trying to make a point?” Riku asked. He heard Demyx chuckle to himself.

“I’m not sure. I think I am but listen…with Zexion, I had to wait until I was the right age.” Demyx said.

“What do you mean by that?” Riku asked, now suddenly curious.

“I can’t really explain…ask Cloud or Zexy when you talk to them, but merfolk age differently than we do. They have this thing…umm…I think it’s called their Grace Period where they slow down their aging process. When they came to this island twenty years ago, I was barely one year old. I didn’t meet Zexion until I was about five. When I was twelve, I realized he was merman because he told me after I confessed to him,” Demyx said. For a moment, he stayed silent as he remembered that day. He smiled and continued, “I don’t know how long he’s been in his Grace Period but he’s stopping it on my birthday this year.”

“How can he stop the aging process?” Riku asked.

Demyx shrugged, “He’s a merman. It looks like they can do anything expect  fly.”

“Is there a reason why you’re telling me this?”

“I don’t know,” Demyx said. “It is helpful information and encouragement, I guess. It won’t be easy trying to get Sora back. But, if you do, then maybe Sora will end his Grace Period for you.”

“Demyx, what the hell are you trying to say?” Riku asked as he made the water hotter.

“Read between the lines!” Demyx said. “I’ll see you in a few.”

Demyx’s retreating footsteps echoed along the tile walls until they disappeared all together. Riku turned around as he leaned against the stall door. He braced his arms against the top as he rested his head on top of them. He closed his eyes and just let his mind wander. Naturally, his thoughts were on what Demyx had said.

If anything, he would rather think about Sora but that Grace Period wouldn’t leave his thoughts. If he had this figured right, from what Demyx told him a Grace Period was when a merfolk could slow their aging. Demyx had to wait till he was twenty until Zexion stopped his Grace Period. So, did that mean Zexion would age regularly if he stopped it? Riku sighed and he picked up his head. He still didn’t see how that related to Sora in any way.

“…oh,” Riku almost laughed out loud.

He turned off the water as he grabbed the towel he had slung over the stall. He dried himself before he wrapped the towel around himself. He picked up his clothes as he headed out, his mind still sort of reeling. When he approached his dorm, he saw Demyx leaning against the wall near his door. Riku grinned. “I can’t believe I got a pep talk from an idiot like you.”

“Hey! I’m a genius, what can I say?” Demyx said.

Riku smirked as he walked into his room. He grabbed another smaller towel as he dried his hair and grabbed a pair of boxers from his drawer. He could hear Axel’s loud voice in the hallway, along with Zexion’s. He sat down on his bed with the towel draped over his head as Zexion, Cloud, and Axel walked in.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s hear this!” Axel said as he tossed himself on his bed. Zexion rolled his eyes as Cloud pulled out the chair from Axel’s desk and sat. He stared at the carpet for a moment as he gathered his thought.

It’s been such a long time since he had to think about Leon. He finally looked up and stared at Riku.

“What do you want to know?” He asked.

“What are you and what do you know about that brown-haired bastard?” Riku asked. Zexion snickered silently to the side.

“I was the Pincoy of the East Kingdom. Cid and Zexion were my Guardians. Leon was a Guardian-in-training to become my third Guardian.”

“That’s all?” Axel asked as he looked at Cloud. “There’s a lot more.”

“And you would know?” Zexion asked as he looked at Axel.

Axel smiled as he shrugged his shoulder, “Hey, it _IS_ me were talking about. I’m a people’s person. There’s something more, I can tell just by looking at him.” Axel said as he looked at Cloud.

“…we were lovers,” Cloud said. “We were…until I met Sephiroth.”

“A lovers’ spat?” Axel asked.

“You could say,” Zexion said. “The reason why Leon doesn’t like humans is partially Sephiroth’s fault for taking Cloud away.”

“You make it sound like he kidnapped me.” Cloud said as he looked up at Zexion.

“He might as well have in Leon’s eyes.” Cloud sighed and looked back at Riku.

“What else?” Cloud asked.

“What exactly does a Pincoy do? Sora told me a bit and from what he told me it sounds like he practically worshipped.” A humorless smile shaped Cloud’s lips.

“Not exactly worshipped but it is close,” Cloud said. “It’s rare for an actual Pincoy to be born since it’s not hereditary. Where they are born is entirely up to chance so any Kingdom with a Pincoy guards them well.”

“Is there a difference between that and a regular merman?” Axel asked.

“A merman is just a merman,” Zexion said. “Average looks, average intelligence, and average potential magic use. There are variety; some mermen are better looking than others, some more intelligent, and some with more than the average potential for magic. The difference between a Pincoy and an average merman is mainly their voice.”

“It’s that strange language Sora sings in, right?” Riku said. He remembered the countless times he heard Sora sing in that language and every time he could tell there was something mystical in his voice.

Cloud nodded, “The ancient language, or the voice of the ocean. It holds power when we sing. On top of that, our magic is continuously growing. For mermaids and mermen, they’re able to handle only a certain amount of magic that they can manage. We’re different when it comes to how much magic our bodies can hold.”

“What do you mean?” Riku asked.

“If we stopped singing, we wouldn’t be able to control our magic well. That’s why our voice is harvested into various gems.” Riku stood up as he grabbed his pants from the floor by his desk. He pulled out Sora’s necklace and showed it to Cloud and Zexion.

“Like this?” He asked. Zexion walked over to Riku and grabbed the necklace. He stared at the gem as he turned it over in his hands.

“Who’s is this?” Zexion asked.

“Sora’s,” Riku replied. Cloud looked at the clear gem in Zexion’s hand. He looked surprised as soon as Riku said Sora’s name. So did Zexion. “What’s going on?”

“Do you know where he got this gem?” Zexion asked.

“I found it on the island and I gave it to him. Whatever you’re not telling, tell me.” Riku said.

“Normally, a Pincoy wouldn’t be able to have their own necklace because it would shatter trying to regulate the magic already in the Pincoy’s body,” Zexion looked at Riku. “Sora wore this and it didn’t shatter?”

Riku nodded, “Never even left his side.”

“…so it is possible…” Zexion said as he thought. “I’m going to borrow this. I’ll bring it back later. Do you still have any more questions?”

“About a million more but…I’ll stop for today,” Riku said. Even though he was just released from the hospital he wanted to sleep in his bed and think. Even if a better half of his body was screaming at him to do something about Sora. For now, it seemed like he had to wait and think of an actual plan.

Since Sora was back in the sea, he doubted they’ll let Sora come back and he was sure they’ll be extra watchful of him. Riku sighed as he sat down on his bed. “Just one more question. How important is a Grace Period to a merman?”

Zexion stared at Riku before he turned his head towards the doorway. Demyx was by the door threshold. There was a sheepish smile on his face. “About as important as it is to a mermaid.” Zexion said as he walked away.

“Hey! Zexion, c’mon, don’t look at me like that!” Demyx shouted as he followed Zexion back to their dorm. Axel laughed as he stood up.

“Looks like somebody isn’t getting any tail tonight,” Axel said. “Don’t look the door again tonight.”

“Marluxia again?” Riku asked.

“Damn, pink-haired prick of a RA thinks he’s freaking god! Just wait and see…” Riku chuckled as he watched Axel walk out the room. He sighed then looked at Cloud.

“Why Sephiroth?” Riku asked.

That was a question Cloud told himself countless times years ago. Why Sephiroth? Why not Leon?

Back then, he couldn’t answer it because he didn’t want to know. Now, it’s entirely different. Cloud looked out the window at the setting sun. Splashes and rays of orange, red and purple mixed with the fading blue around the horizon.

“He’s important to me. He’s the first human I met,” Cloud said. “It’s late. I know you have more questions so we’ll talk tomorrow if you have time.” Riku nodded.

There was much to think about. Cloud walked out of Riku’s room as he closed the door behind him to leave Riku alone with his thoughts. When the door clicked shut, Cloud leaned against it and sighed.

He knew things were far from over. Riku had that same determined look in his eyes as Sephiroth did. He looked beside him as Sephiroth coyly looked around the hallway as if he just got there instead of eavesdropping. A smile appeared on Cloud’s face.

“What’s going to happen now?” Sephiroth asked as they began walking down the hallway together.

“I don’t know,” Cloud said. “But Riku has that determined look in his eyes as you had. He’s not going to do nothing.”

 


	15. Chapter 15

“Open this fucking door!! Now!”

Riku grumbled and glared at the door. He glanced at his clock on his bedside table; it was seven in the morning. Riku growled as Marluxia kept pounding on the door without any regard to the time.

He sighed, clutching his head. Why the hell was he banging on the door so damn early in the morning? Riku growled again as he shuffled out of bed and to the door. Marluxia didn’t stop banging the door until Riku opened the door.

Marluxia was absolutely mad…and for obvious reason.

His hair, the hair he always preened and cared for, was no longer that dusty pink color he loved. Instead, his whole hair was a bright and obnoxious orange. It was almost to the point of neon orange. To make it even funnier, it was obvious that Marluxia had just stepped out of the shower. His hair was still wet and he had a towel wrapped around his waist. Someone must have messed with his precious hair care products.

Despite the fact that he was rudely awaken, Riku managed an amused smirk. Marluxia glared at him; nothing about the situation was amusing.

“I see you’re looking for a new look.” Riku said as he leaned against the door frame. Marluxia snarled at him.

“Where the hell is Axel?” Marluxia demanded.

“I don’t know. I’m not his handler.” Riku said. Marluxia clenched his teeth as he walked into the room.

Riku stepped back as he watched Marluxia look around the room. Axel’s bed was still made, evident that he hadn’t been in the room during the night. Marluxia growled as he turned back around and walked out of the room.

“I’ll fucking kill you, Axel! You better not let me find you!!” Marluxia shouted in the hallway. Riku sighed as he went to close the door. Almost immediately, Axel rolled out from underneath Riku’s bed.

“You owe me.” Riku simply said as he walked back to his bed and threw himself on it.

Axel nodded as he took his keys and opened the window. Luckily, their room was on the second floor and there was a fire escape next to their window. Axel climbed out and balanced himself on the ledge of the window. He reached out and flung his arms towards the ladder. He grabbed the last rung on the ladder, swung for a bit in the air then let go.

He safely fell on the heels of his feet on the ground. Axel stood up as he looked around. It wasn’t even light out. He sighed as he leaned against the building. As he looked at the morning sky, his thoughts drifted to Roxas.

“He really needs to come back.”

\------

Roxas sneezed. He rubbed his nose as he continued on his way to Sora’s room. It was still Leon’s room. Sora just took hostage of it. As always, the two extra soldiers were guarding the entrance. When they saw Roxas, the saluted him as he neared.

“He is inside, right?” Roxas asked.

“Yes, sir.” They both replied. Roxas nodded and swam into the room. He spotted Sora on his bed, just listlessly sitting there as he stared at the ground.

“Sora?” He slowly swam towards him. Before Roxas even had a chance to even touch Sora’s shoulders, a bolt of magic shot out towards him. Roxas yelled in surprises as he quickly dodged it. It struck the wall behind him with a loud boom. He looked behind him at the small crater it formed from the bolt.

Roxas quickly turned to look at Sora as he noticed a tiny wisp of magic circle Sora’s body.

“Hey! Are you trying to kill me!?” Roxas yelled as he backed away. Sora lifted his head up, finally noticing Roxas.

“Oh, Roxas! I thought it was Leon.” Sora said. Roxas breathed a sigh of relief as he was assured Sora wouldn’t strike out at him again. Though it did make him worry about Leon.

“So, you’re trying to kill him?” Roxas asked as he swam towards him. Sora shook his head.

The turtle that had stayed with Sora swam towards him. Sora smiled as he grabbed its front flippers and pulled the turtle towards him. The turtle bumped its head against Sora’s hand as Sora watched it swim around. An octopus lazily rested on top of Sora’s head.

“It’s tempting and if he doesn’t let me out of here, I think I might!” Sora yelled as he suddenly swam away from the bed. “I tired of this tiny room! I feel like I’ve been locked up like a dirty secret!”

Roxas watched him swim back and forth. He couldn’t blame him. The room was small but not terribly small and he still had Leon’s room hostage. However, it still didn’t make anything fair, as Leon still hadn’t lifted the barrier at the entrance. Sora growled as he swam back to the bed and sat down.

“I’m slowly going insane,” Sora said. He pulled off the octopus from his head and set it on his lap as he rested his head against Roxas’s shoulder. “I miss him.” Roxas looked at his fin as the words seemed to float in the water around them. Sora tilted his head up as he looked at Roxas. “Don’t you miss him?” Sora asked.

Roxas blushed and he swam away. Sora fell down on his side on the bed and watched Roxas start mumbling.

“W-what’re talking about!? Why would I miss that tall red-haired pervert!?”

Sora grinned as he stared at Roxas, “I never mentioned his name, did I?”

Roxas stopped pacing around.

He stared at Sora who had a pretty smug smile on his face. Roxas growled and charged towards him.

Sora laughed as he pushed the octopus away from him as Roxas tackled him. They tumbled on the bed, each fighting to be the one on top. They laughed and smiled until they eventually stopped after awhile when neither would yield to the other. Sora and Roxas lay side by side, gathering their breath.

“I…I guess I kinda do,” Roxas said after a moment of silence.

“I know,” Sora said as he stared at the ceiling. “I feel the same way about Riku.” Sora groaned as he rolled out of the bed and swam towards the entrance in his tiny room.

He pressed his hand against the barrier that kept him in. He could see one of the soldiers stationed at the entrance. He assumed the other one was at the entrance in Leon’s room. Sora took a deep breath in, “LEON, YOU STUPID BASTARD!! TELL THEM TO GET RID OF THIS BARRIER! I feel trapped…”

“I think that’s the first time I heard you call him a bastard.” Roxas said as he sat up. Sora turned around and swam back to the bed.

“There’s a first time for everything.” Sora mumbled as he sat down. “He’s acting totally unreasonable.” Sora huffed as threw himself back on the bed.

“Oh, that’s right, that’s what I came here for.” Roxas said as he moved towards Sora. Sora looked at him from the bed.

“What do you mean?” He asked. The turtle that was swimming around swam towards Sora and rested on his stomach.

“There’s a reason why Leon is acting all weird but it’s…kind of long.” Roxas said.

“Spill it, Roxy.”

“You know that guy, the one who felt familiar to us?” Roxas asked. Sora held the octopus in his hands, above his head.

“You mean…Zexion. I think that was his name.” Sora said. The octopus wrapped its tentacles around Sora’s hand as it climbed down his arm.

“Yeah, he’s a merman and pervious Guardian.”

“An ex-Guardian?” Sora asked. Roxas nodded.

“Yeah, and I think the other guy you saw that you told me felt familiar might have been—“

“Roxas!” Roxas flinched as he turned towards the entrance.

Leon was there with a stern look in his eyes. Roxas looked away. Sora stared at Roxas then to Leon.

“Leon…”

“Are you calm enough to harvest your voice?” Leon asked. Sora narrowed his eyes as he glared at him.

“Is that all you care about now?” Sora asked. Leon didn’t answer as he kept his eyes on Sora.

Sora grumbled as he slowly became mad. It was like the Leon he knew was gone. He tried to keep his anger down but it was hard when he kept staring at Leon’s expressionless face. Roxas looked at Sora and noticed a long wisp of magic start to circle Sora’s body.

“I told you I’m not singing for you or anybody else.”

“You’re being reckless.” Leon said. Sora glared at him. Roxas noticed that the wisp of magic was growing thicker.

“And you’re being irrational! I don’t like being here!” Sora said. “Is all you care about is my voice?” Sora asked. Leon didn’t answer. It might as well been a yes to Sora’s ear. Sora bit his lip as he suddenly wanted to be alone again.

“Get out!” Sora yelled as a bolt of magic shot towards Leon from Sora’s body.

Roxas was expecting Leon to dodge but he didn’t. He couldn’t look away as it struck Leon.  He barely let a sound of pain out as the magic bolt stuck him. Roxas and Sora both flinched as they watched Leon crumple to the stone ground. “Leon!” Sora yelled as he pulled back the magic.

Why didn’t he dodge it?! Sora rushed over to Leon as he knelt down beside him. He could see a few burns covering Leon’s body.

“Leon!”

“…satisfied?” Leon said as he picked himself up.

The attack stung. Leon could feel currents of the magic bolt and it still burned parts of his body but he didn’t let the pain show. Sora bit his bottom lip as guilt quickly assaulted him. Just as quickly as he had rushed towards Leon, he moved away as far away as possible.

Concerned, Roxas swam over to Sora and grabbed his hands.

“Sora?” Roxas said. Sora didn’t answer him.

“When you’re calm enough, I’ll come back to talk to you about your Grace Period.” Leon said. Without another word, he left. Now, Roxas himself was angry.

“I’ll be right back, Sora.” Roxas said. Sora didn’t acknowledge that he heard. Roxas rushed out the room and swam after Leon.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?” Roxas yelled as he swam ahead of Leon and blocked his path. “Are you trying to fuck with his mind?!”

“I’m just trying to get him to stop acting stubborn and realize he needs to start handling his responsibilities again.” Leon said. Roxas glared at him.

“No, you’re trying to control the past,” Roxas said.

A flicker of something flashed through Leon’s light blue eyes. Roxas caught it and knew he was right

“You shouldn’t do this to him. Sora isn’t Cloud. ” Leon remained quiet. All of a sudden, they heard Sora’s loud anguished cry echo from his room. Roxas looked away. He was unable to look at Leon.

“Stop trying to control what already passed. All you’re going to do is keep hurting him. You can only break something so much until it’s completely broken.” Roxas swam back to comfort Sora.

For a moment, Leon didn’t move. He heard another cry from Sora echo through the hallways. His cry was so much more different than Cloud’s.

\------

> _It wasn’t difficult to understand Leon. At least, he wasn’t some undecipherable code. He was distant; yes. Practically expressionless; of course he was. But he wasn’t at all difficult to figure out. He was just the silent type. If anything, it was that Leon never could find the right words to say at times._
> 
> _Cloud watched Leon’s soft, completely unguarded, sleeping face. He reached a hand and brushed a lock of hair away from Leon’s closed eyes. His fingertips barely touched Leon but his eyes slowly opened._
> 
> _Cloud pulled his hand back, embarrassed to be caught. Leon smiled an unguarded smile. He brought Cloud’s hand back up to his face as he gently pressed Cloud’s hand against the side of his face. Cloud now blushed but didn’t pull his hand back._
> 
> _“Lack of sleep makes you do silly things.” Cloud said._
> 
> _“Blame Cid,” Leon mumbled. “He kicks my ass, pushing me close to exhaustion then begins all over again in a few hours.” Cloud chuckled which made Leon frown._
> 
> _Leon smirked as he pulled Cloud closer. He flipped over so that he had Cloud pinned to the bed. Cloud blinked in surprise as he looked into Leon’s light blue eyes. He was going to go back to sleep again, Cloud figured as he stared into those eyes. He turned his head to the side as he looked at Leon’s hand. Their fingers interlocked with each other._
> 
> _“You’re going to fall asleep again.” Cloud stated. Leon nodded. He yawned as he laid down beside Cloud, pulling Cloud closer. Their hands stayed interlocked. “This lack of sleep is making you…affectionate.”_
> 
> _Leon laughed as he kissed Cloud’s forehead, “Humor me.” He said._
> 
> _He quickly ran his hand through Cloud’s hair before he closed his eyes. Cloud smiled as he watched Leon fall back to sleep. He ran his finger along the scar across of Leon’s nose; a result of Cid’s harsh training. He pressed his hand against the side of Leon’s face and sang a soft song. He healed of few of his bruises; just enough for Leon to wake up feeling a little bit better than usual._
> 
> _“How long are you going to keep this up?”_
> 
> _Cloud’s smile disappeared as he carefully pulled Leon’s arm away as he sat up. At the entrance, Zexion stared at him. Cloud glared at him before he looked away. He didn’t know._
> 
> _If Cloud knew of a way of doing things without hurting Leon, he would’ve done it a long time ago. As things were now, it was too late to wish for a happy resolve. Cloud carefully swam away from his bed._
> 
> _“As long as I need to.” Cloud said._
> 
> _Zexion smirked, “You’re only holding back the inevitable.” Cloud looked back at Leon. He needed to break things off with Sephiroth. Even if his mind knew that, Cloud knew he couldn’t bring himself to do that. He couldn’t separate himself from Sephiroth. Cloud sighed as he swam towards Zexion._
> 
> _“Let’s go.” He said._
> 
> _“Off to wash the scent of Leon with Sephiroth?” Zexion asked. Cloud said nothing as he swam away. It was Zexion’s turn to sigh as he followed Cloud, “It’s fun when you reply back. At least keep me entertained.”_
> 
> _Their voiced echoed throughout the hallway. In the room, Leon slowly sat up. He looked at the entrance where Cloud and Zexion just recently left from. He didn’t understand a great part of their conversation. The only thing he did understand was that Cloud was seeing someone else he didn’t want anyone else to know._
> 
> _He swam to the entrance and, despite ignoring the voice that shouted at him not too, he decided to follow them._
> 
> _Leon made sure he was far enough away that they wouldn’t be able to sense him, especially Zexion. He saw that they were heading towards the island. He stayed near the rocks, swimming along the edge until they were out of sight. Then Leon swam towards the surface. He couldn’t see them anymore but he knew they had surfaced._
> 
> _When Leon was near the surface, he stopped just a few feet from actually surfacing. Something told him he should simply swim away and forget about it. His stubbornness wouldn’t let him turn away. Very slowly, Leon surfaced but he only raised his head high enough to keep his eyes above the water._
> 
> _He swam closer, making use of the lack of light from the clouds that obscured the moon. He moved as close as he dared. At first, he couldn’t see anything. All he noticed a white sheet tied to a pole on a makeshift raft. Above him, the clouds finally moved as the moonlight fell upon the shore._
> 
> _He could see Cloud and Zexion on the shore. They were alone and talking to each other. Leon watched, waiting and wondering what they were waiting for. It wasn’t long before he got his answer. Leon saw a human appear from the doorway that separated one side of the island. He walked along the wooden bridge and past the bare wooden tower to where the raft, and Cloud, was. He had long silver hair made even more luminous by the moonlight._
> 
> _Leon looked back at Cloud and noticed that Zexion had walked away. Cloud, on the other hand, walked towards the long silver-haired human. He watched as Cloud hugged him, whispering into the human’s ear. The human seemed to smirk as he grabbed Cloud’s head and kissed him._
> 
> _That was it. Leon dove back down. He couldn’t watch anymore. What the hell was that anyway?! Leon growled as he controlled himself from surfacing. A million questions ran through his mind. Was that human Sephiroth? Why was Cloud greeting him? Why were they meeting in the middle of the night?_
> 
> _Why wasn’t Zexion stopping Cloud? Why, why, why? Why did Cloud need to see someone else? Why a human of all things?!_
> 
> _“What are you going to do now, Leon?”_
> 
> _Leon quickly turned around. Zexion was floating just a few feet away from him. Leon growled as he glared at Zexion. “What the hell is going on!?”_
> 
> _“What did you think is going on?” Zexion answered with another question. It only pissed off Leon even further._
> 
> _“Answer me, Zexion. Why did you let this happen?”_
> 
> _“Me? Why I let this happen?” Zexion mocked astonishment. “I have nothing to do with this. If you want answers, you’ll need to talk to Cloud. I’m only doing my job as his Guardian. The human, Sephiroth, is harmless at the moment.”_
> 
> _“Apparently, you’re not doing your job at all if you let this happen?” Leon said. Zexion narrowed his eyes as he glared at Leon._
> 
> _“I do not need to be patronized by a mere child,” Zexion said. “Don’t put blame on me. If you want answer, you’ll have to talk to Cloud.” Leon clenched his teeth as he looked away._
> 
> _He couldn’t…he just couldn’t. Leon bit his bottom lip as he tried to keep his calm. He couldn’t because…he didn’t want to know anything. He should’ve listened to his gut feeling that told him not to surface. Why couldn’t he have listened to it?_
> 
> _Without another word to Zexion, Leon swam away. He swam as fast as he could back to the Palace._
> 
> _“Dammit, why?!”_
> 
> _\------_
> 
> _“Cloud, it’s already past his time limit.” Zexion said. Cloud frowned as he lifted his head from Sephiroth’s shoulder. Lately, Zexion had been stingy with the hours he’s let Sephiroth have. On top of that, Leon wasn’t visiting him anymore after his trainings. In fact, it seemed like Leon was avoiding him. They haven’t had spent more than two minutes together in about three weeks. Without Leon’s presence, Cloud felt more…alone._
> 
> _As a result, with Leon now actively avoiding him with his entire being, only Sephiroth could provided his worry free comfort. Cloud sighed as he turned around in Sephiroth’s arm as he looked at Zexion._
> 
> _“Is something wrong? You seem in a hurry lately?”_
> 
> _“It’s nothing and I’m not,” Zexion said. “I just want to go back to my bed soon.”_
> 
> _“You can always go back yourself.” Sephiroth said._
> 
> _“And let you keep Cloud for the night? Tempting but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline that offer.” Zexion said. Cloud sighed as he turned back around in Sephiroth’s arm. Things have just been so strange lately with Zexion and Leon that Cloud didn’t want to go. “Cloud.”_
> 
> _“Alright, I know.” Cloud said. Before Cloud had the chance to move away, Sephiroth held Cloud back. He smiled as he leaned down and kissed him. Sephiroth ran his tongue along Cloud’s bottom lip; enjoying the shiver he felt from the merman. Cloud pressed himself against Sephiroth. Sephiroth was just giving him more reason to not want to go back._
> 
> _“Anytime this year would be nice.” Zexion said. Sephiroth sighed as he planted one last kiss on Cloud’s lips._
> 
> _“I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Cloud said._
> 
> _Sephiroth nodded and reluctantly loosened his hold around Cloud. He walked away without looking back because Cloud knew he wouldn’t be able to go back. When his feet reached the water, Cloud smiled. He waded in deeper until the water was about to his waist. Cloud finally let himself look back and waved goodbye. Sephiroth waved back and Cloud dove underneath the water, finally letting his legs turn back into his brilliant green-blue tail._
> 
> _It was a quiet swim back home. Zexion didn’t talk at all not that it was odd but Zexion would’ve at least said one snarky comment. Cloud shrugged the odd feeling away._
> 
> _“Cloud, prepare yourself.” Zexion said after awhile of silence. They were almost to the Palace._
> 
> _“Against what?” Cloud asked._
> 
> _“That.” Zexion said as he jerked his head towards the entrance of the Palace._
> 
> _Leon was waiting for him._


	16. Chapter 16

> _“Leon?”_
> 
> _He didn’t like the situation. Cloud didn’t like it at all. He could see a hardened look in Leon’s eyes that was never there before._
> 
> _Leon usually wore a guarded look but not to the point where it made Cloud want to move away from him. Leon narrowed his eyes as he glared at Zexion. Zexion shrugged as he stared back, completely unperturbed by Leon’s glare._
> 
> _“You’re glaring at the wrong merman, Leon.” Zexion said as he swam away. There was no need for Zexion to stay. It wasn’t his problem._
> 
> _Leon watched him swim away before he settled back to Cloud. Cloud could barely breathe through the tension he felt between them._
> 
> _“Stop glaring at me.” Cloud said. Leon said nothing. Now completely unnerved, Cloud decided he should just go back inside and to his room. But the only way in was to swim past Leon. Cloud mentally sighed as he braced himself. He slowly swam towards Leon, keeping at least an arm’s length distance._
> 
> _Leon didn’t move nor did he follow Cloud with his eyes. He just stared at the wide expanse of ocean._
> 
> _Just as Cloud passed him, Leon spoke, “I know about the human.” Cloud stopped and quickly turned around but Leon was already swimming away. Cloud panicked. He chased after Leon as he saw that Leon was swimming towards the surface. He grabbed Leon’s arm to stop him but Leon easily pulled his arm away._
> 
> _“Where are you going?” Cloud asked._
> 
> _“Does it matter?” Leon asked as he kept on swimming._
> 
> _“Yes!”_
> 
> _Leon stopped as he looked at Cloud. He was desperate to stop him. Was he really that worked up for a human? Cloud looked away when he saw the anger and confusion in Leon’s eyes._
> 
> _“For how long?” Leon asked. Cloud remained silent. At once, Leon became angrier. He grabbed Cloud’s arm and held tightly._
> 
> _Cloud flinched from the pressure and he tried to pull his arm back. Leon wouldn’t let go. Cloud stopped struggling as he looked at the tight hold Leon had on him. Leon wouldn’t let go, at least not until he had an answer._
> 
> _“Almost four years,” Cloud said. He didn’t need to look at Leon to know that kind of expression on Leon’s face. He could picture it perfectly; shock._
> 
> _Pure and utter shock. Leon loosened his hold around Cloud’s wrist. He quickly pulled his arm back and cradled his hand against his chest. Leon said nothing. He turned away from Cloud. He didn’t want to look at him._
> 
> _“Squall…”_
> 
> _“Your privileges have been revoked. You’re no longer allowed to surface.”_
> 
> _“…you’re lying.” Cloud softly said in disbelief._
> 
> _He stared at Leon, hoping it wasn’t true and that he was just playing around. Leon wasn’t the type of person to joke around though so…he had to be telling the truth._
> 
> _The sudden, almost overwhelming, fact that Cloud could never see Sephiroth again crashed around him. Even with the only rational part of his mind telling him that it was for the best, Cloud didn’t like it. He wanted to look at Leon’s face, to see if he was actually telling the truth, but even without seeing it, Cloud knew._
> 
> _Without another word, Cloud sulked off._
> 
> _\------_
> 
> _Cloud refused to listen._
> 
> _The next day, around the time when he usually left to go see Sephiroth, Cloud snuck out of his room. He quickly swam through the hallways, being cautious as to not bump into anyone. When he left the palace, Cloud rushed into the open sea. For a moment, Cloud thought he was safe. No one was chasing after him and no one had seen him._
> 
> _He began to relax but he relaxed too soon as he noticed a presence behind. He pumped his tail harder, gaining more speed._
> 
> _“Stop being a pain.”_
> 
> _Cloud had the air knocked out of his lungs as he suddenly came to a stop. He looked down at himself as he noticed nothing physical was holding him. Cloud growled as he turned his head to the side. He could see Zexion swimming near him with Leon. Cloud struggled against the bonds around him even though it was useless to even fight._
> 
> _Zexion handled his magic well._
> 
> _“Didn’t I already tell you that you don’t have your privileges for the surface?” Leon asked. He ignored the glare from Cloud as they swam back to the palace. Leon was actually surprised at Cloud; he actually tried to go and see the human. How important was the human to Cloud?_
> 
> _Leon growled as he quickly swam away. “I’ll swim ahead to get Cid to put some guards near Cloud’s room.”_
> 
> _“Sure,” Zexion said, annoyed with the fact that he had to magically haul Cloud back. It wasn’t a problem for him but it wasn’t something Zexion didn’t want to do that every day.  Besides, seeing a distressed Leon wasn’t so bad._
> 
> _“Don’t make this an everyday occurrence. I’ll bind you to your bed if you do.” He warned Cloud._
> 
> _Leon didn’t stop until he was well on the other side of the palace. He passed by the training hall where he saw Cid bark out commands at new soldiers. He aimlessly swam around the hallways._
> 
> _Cloud had actually tried to leave just to see that human. He growled and punched the rock wall near him. Pain jolted up in his arms but he hardly felt it. How could he have not known about the human?_
> 
> _Leon sighed as he pulled back his hand and stared at his bloody knuckles. Cloud was the first thing Leon thought about as he stared at the blood. Cloud would’ve probably fussed until Leon let him heal it. His mind already heard Cloud’s voice telling him he didn’t need to make his own injuries while Cid was already doing that to him._
> 
> _He let out a loud disgruntle yell as he pounded his wounded fist against the rough wall. A nagging thought that had quietly whispered in the back of his mind became louder._
> 
> _“Does he even love me…?”_

\------

Sora gave up trying to figure out how many days he taken hostage Leon’s room.

The only thing he did know was that it was the fourth day he stopped singing. He didn’t think it would really affect him but he was wrong. He could feel the excess magic flow throughout his body. When he woke up in the morning, a physical strand of his magic had appeared around him.

It was a tiny strand and normally, if he concentrated he could control it and it’ll disappear. However, this morning, when he concentrated, the wisp of magic wouldn’t go away. He eventually gave up; it wasn’t harming anyone.

“I came up with a plan.” Sora said. The turtle looked at him in an almost questioning way. Sora smiled as he reached out and held onto its front flippers.

“I just have to behave like Leon wants me too. Then, when I leave this room, I’ll escape.” Sora fell back on his bed as the turtle nudged his head against Sora’s hand.

“I know. But, I have to try. I miss him so much it hurts.” Sora let the turtle’s flippers go and he watched it swim in slow circles above him before it settled down on his stomach. Sora ran his hand down the turtle’s shell.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a red octopus swim towards him. Sora smiled as he held up his hand and it clung to his arm. He could feel the tiny suction cup of its tentacles. He giggled and brought his arm back down.

“I know it’s a stupid idea. What else can I do?”

“You can start by not talking to yourself,” Sora quickly sat up and the turtle tumbled off his belly. Sora gasped as he grabbed the turtle and quickly apologized. The turtle was fine, maybe a bit disoriented but fine nonetheless.

Sora heard Roxas chuckle. He glared at his friend. The wisp of magic thickened and Roxas back away. “Sora…”

Sora stopped glaring and the strand of magic became a small wisp again. “Oh, sorry.”

“What is that anyway?” Roxas asked.

“I think it’s the result of not singing anymore. Before, if I concentrated, it would go away but now I can’t.” Sora said. Roxas stared at it as the single strand harmlessly encircled Sora’s body. Roxas smiled as he swam towards Sora and sat down beside him. Sora sighed as he leaned his head against Roxas’s shoulder.

“So what’s your plan?” Roxas asked.

“Escape. Whenever Leon let’s me out, I’ll swim away once he lets his guard down.”

“You know he won’t,” Roxas said, effectively piercing his plan.

Sora already knew it was hopeless. Leon wouldn’t have his guard down. Sora bit into his bottom lip in frustration. He was just grasping at straws now. Sora lifted his hand up to his neck. He could feel the absence of his necklace. “Anyway, brace yourself, Leon’s coming soon.”

“Huh? What for?”

“Our Grace period.”

“…but…I’m only 17…I thought I had to wait until I lived for 21 years before I can enter it.” Sora said.

Roxas remained quiet. He couldn’t seem to tell him what Leon had planned. He quickly moved away from the bed, causing Sora to fall sideways on to the bed. Sora fixed himself and sat upright as he watched Roxas.

“Roxas?”

“Sora, I need you to do something.” Roxas said as he swam towards Sora.

“What?” Sora asked, feeling alert.

“Behave. Don’t attack Leon anymore. Just listen to what he says when he comes.”

“Wait, Roxas, I don’t completely understand. He can’t make me enter my Grace period.” Sora said. “Only I can.”

“Leon can’t but Wakka can.” Roxas said. Sora opened his mouth then closed it again. Roxas was right.

Sora groaned as he threw himself on the bed. The octopus that had been peacefully wrapped itself around his arm swam away as Sora rested his head on his arms. It jetted back towards Sora’s head this time.

“I don’t understand why he’s doing this.” Sora softly mumbled into his arms. Once again, Roxas looked away. He couldn’t tell him yet…not the whole thing at least. He swam towards Sora and sat beside him. Sora reached out and grabbed Roxas’s hand.

“Just tell me you’ll behave. Listen to what Leon says. They’ll let you out of this room if you agree. You’ll have more guards plus Leon but at least you’ll get to swim around and stretch your tail out.”

“Alright…I’ll behave.”

“Good. I’m leaving now and if Leon asks what we were talking about lie. I’ll see you later.” He gave Sora’s hand a reassuring squeeze then left. Sora watched him go and he heard his voice from the hallway talking to someone. The turtle shuffled close to Sora and rested close to Sora’s head.

“Thank you, Mr. Turtle.” Sora said as he gently tapped the turtle’s head.

Sora kept his eyes on the entrance and a second later, Leon appeared. He could feel the wisp of magic strengthen and it took all his will power to hold back. Sora sat upright as he concentrated solely on not attacking Leon.

Roxas told him to behave and shocking Leon again wouldn’t fall under behaving. The thread of magic didn’t return to its small wisp of magic. Sora concentrated and spilt the thicker thread of magic that endlessly encircled him into two thinner strands. It was easier to manage. Sora sighed then he looked up at Leon.

“How long have you stopped singing?” Leon asked, his eyes following the strands of magic that encircled Sora.

“Four days.” Sora said, keeping his voice as monotone as possible.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” Leon said. Sora shrugged. He raised his hands and pulled the octopus of his head. He held it against his chest. Sora could feel the octopus’s tentacles latch onto his skin.

“What did Roxas want?” Leon asked. Sora quickly became on guard. He looked at Leon, straight in the eyes as he answered.

“I was complaining about being practically held prisoner in this room. I needed an ear to complain to.”

The turtle resting beside him softly tapped its head against Sora’s thigh. Sora smiled as he looked down at his sea creature friend. “Well, someone who can vocally talk back.” He lifted the turtle up to his eye level, “You know I appreciate you guys.” He said. The turtle seemed pleased at his answer as it wiggled out of his hands and rested on top of Sora’s lap. The octopus on his chest crawled up and settled back on top of his head. He smiled as he raised his hand and petted its bulbous head. He looked back at Leon as he lowered his hand.

“Why are you here, Leon?” Sora asked as his smile faded.

“We need to talk.” Leon said.

Sora looked away. The way he said it made Sora feel irritated. He could feel the urge to want to attack him and the strands of magic pulsated. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

_I have to behave. Calm down, Sora, and just behave like Roxy told me too. He must be up to something._

“Alright. Let’s talk.”

\------

“If you don’t stop pacing around, I’ll handcuff you to Demyx’s bed.” Axel threatened as he watched Riku.

It’s been a few days now and with every passing day; Riku was growing more and more impatient. He had to force himself to pay attention in his classes while his thoughts were constantly shifting to Sora every odd second.

“Shut the hell up,” Riku mumbled as he sat down on his bed then stood up, paced around, and sat back down once again. “What the hell is taking him so long?”

“Who?” Axel asked.

“Zexion. He said he had to tell me something important but he’s not even here.”

Axel smirked as he grabbed a small ball from his bedside table and began tossing it up in the air, “Maybe he’s busy screwing around with Demyx. He just got back and you know Demyx has the sex drive of a rabbit.”

“I’ll break his dick off if he is.” Riku murderously said. Axel winced and crossed his legs.

Riku was more than anxious…he was downright angsty. He sighed as he paced around the room. Axel watched him. It was painful. Axel groaned and he stood up. He grabbed Riku’s arm and hauled him out the room.

“Hey! What’re you doing!?”

“Air. You need air! Let’s go to that damn island and relax.”

“Axel…I’m going to kill you.”

“And I won’t let you see those notes from the classes that you missed.” Axel threatened.

Riku stopped struggling. He really did need those notes and Axel, however lazy and unmotivated he may be with classes, did take real good notes when he actually went to them. Riku sighed and gave in.

“Fine.”

\------

Riku leaned against the side of the boat, seeing his face in the waters’ reflection. Staring back at him was a face filled with restless anxiety. He dipped his hand into the water and his reflection broke. He straightened up as they approached the dock.

Somehow, being outside calmed him down just a bit. He hated to admit it, and he wouldn’t even dare say it out loud, but Axel was right in dragging him outside.

“You already feel better now, don’t you?” Axel asked as he hopped out of the boat. He grabbed the rope and pulled the boat closer to the dock so he could tie it to the dock.

“No.” Riku bluntly replied. Axel grinned as he grabbed the side of the boat and roughly shook it. Riku fell of his seat, roughly falling on the boat’s bottom. Riku growled as he grabbed the side of the boat and leaped out. Axel laughed and pulled himself onto the wooden dock.

“Relax, fool! Enjoy the air, the water…or no notes.” Axel said as he wagged his finger at Riku.

Riku mumbled threats under his breath as he waded out of the shallow water. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the small island. The leaves in the trees rustled along with the wind, creating a harmonious sound throughout the island.

Riku took off his shoes and tossed them aside as he walked along the beach. He stared at the shack and waterfall, nostalgia enveloped him.

“Feeling relaxed?” Axel asked as he stood beside him.

Riku scowled as he walked on. Axel grinned and joined him in his silent walk. They walked underneath the bridge, getting close to the door to the other side of the island when they heard a loud yell.

“I said let me GO!!”

Axel whipped his head towards the door, “That’s Roxas’s voice!”

He rushed towards the door, pushing it open as he ran towards the source of the sound. Riku followed him, running through the door and over the half broken bridge. He saw Axel further ahead by the zip line tower. He heard more yelling coming from beyond the tower. Riku jumped down onto the beach.

There was Roxas fighting off other people. By the looks of it, the attacking people were mermen and they were winning. Roxas was wounded, a bloody hand clenched against his side. He was wounded but still fighting. One of the mermen rushed forward with a spear.

Roxas quickly stepped back but had the breath knocked out of him as he collided into a coconut tree. Roxas coughed and fell. Axel, who was stunned enough to just watch, snapped out of it.

“Get the hell away from him!!” Axel yelled. The two mermen looked surprised.

“This is an affair between us. Stay out of it.” One of the mermen said.

Axel growled as he rushed towards him. The merman raised his spear, the tip pointed at Axel. Axel grinned as he dodged the jab by sliding underneath the spear. The merman was caught off guard and tried to protect himself but it was too late. Axel used the momentum of the slide to kick his legs straight into the merman’s stomach.

Roxas looked surprised as the merman fell backwards. He huffed as he used the tree bark to get to his feet. He wasn’t good at healing but Axel had given him enough time to at least seal the wound. They had managed to disarm him before Roxas had surfaced but at a cost and that cost wasn’t helping him at the moment.

He felt lightheaded from the amount of blood he lost but he couldn’t give up. At least he was able to get on land but those soldiers were personally trained by Cid. They wouldn’t go down easily.

“Axel…stay out of it…” Roxas huffed as he took a shaky step forward. The other merman focused on him as he aimed his spear at Roxas.

“Stay where you are, Guardian Roxas. We have orders to take you back. We don’t want to harm you any further.” Roxas stood still as he glared at him.

“You shouldn’t worry about him.” Axel said as he knocked a coconut over his head. The merman fell like a sack of bricks. Roxas blinked in surprise. Beyond Axel, Roxas could see Riku disarming the other merman and brought the staff over his head, effectively knocking him unconscious.

Roxas looked at the two unconscious mermen on the sandy ground. He sighed and, without any warning, passed out.

“Roxas!” Axel caught his body just in time before he hit the ground. Axel gathered him in his arms, noticing the blood on Roxas’s chest.

Roxas groaned as he softly moved his head side to side. Riku jogged towards them, the spear he confiscated still in his hands. Roxas slowly opened his eyes and squinted as he stared up at Axel’s face.

“…who said you can touch me…” Roxas softly said. Axel grinned as he pulled Roxas into a hug. He was glad Roxas was fine. Roxas smiled despite himself. Riku looked around, searching for Sora.

“Hey, where’s Sora?” Riku asked. The smile quickly faded from Roxas’s lips. He tried to pull away from Axel but Axel wasn’t having that. He gathered Roxas into his arms and lifted him up. Roxas winced from the suddenly movement and felt momentarily dizzy. He fought to keep himself awake.

“About Sora…he…” Roxas finally passed out from pure exhaustion. Axel looked worried as he held Roxas.

“Let’s go,” Riku said. “It’s obvious he wasn’t supposed to have come here. We should get off this island for now and back to the dorms.”

“Alright,” Axel said with a nod.


	17. Chapter 17

> “ _I just have to make it to the surface” Roxas said to himself_. _The two guards were behind him, rapidly gaining. His hand was pressed against his stomach, blood seeping through his fingers. They had managed to wound him, a spear slashed across his stomach, cutting him deeply._
> 
> _Still, he swam as fast as he could. He wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t._
> 
> _“I have to make it. Forget about the pain. Forget about the blood. If I can just make it to the surface…I’ll have the advantage…”_

“Bastards!” Roxas yelled as he woke up.

He gasped for air as he suddenly sat up. His heart kept pounding in his chest, almost as if it wanted to jump out of his body. He clenched the bed sheets in his hands as he took the time to relax in the dark room. He wasn’t on the beach or in the water. He was in Axel and Riku’s room. He was safe.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled the covers off his body. Someone had bandaged his stomach and changed him into a pair of shirts. Roxas looked down and ran his hand down his side. He was sure the stab wound would leave a scar thanks to his bad effort of healing. Fighting he could do but when it came to healing; he downright sucked at it.

“Roxas?” Roxas flinched as the lights turned on. He didn’t hear the door open.

A sense of relief fell over him as he saw it was Axel and, right behind him, Riku. Roxas relaxed and fell back on the bed then he suddenly sat back up. Roxas pulled the covers off his legs as he tried to get up but his legs became tangled in the sheet. Axel rushed forward and caught him before Roxas fell off.

“Where are they?!” Roxas asked, looking around the room. It was possible they could’ve followed him. Axel smiled as he pulled Roxas against him.

“Probably waking up on the beach.” Axel said. Roxas turned his head to look at him. Axel gave him a reassuring smile and that was more than enough for Roxas to settle his alert nerves. He relaxed into Axel’s arm as he gathered his thoughts. He was sure Leon wouldn’t rush Sora if Sora behaved and he was positive that Sora would listen to his word. With that in mind, Roxas looked at Riku. Sora’s human lover had the look anticipation on his face.

“Why were they attacking you?” Riku asked as he sat down across from Roxas on his own bed.

“I haven’t been allowed my privileges to surface. It’s probably part of Leon’s plan of keeping the two of you apart.” Roxas said.

“What do you mean?” Riku asked.

“Leon obviously hates you,” Roxas said, to which Riku rolled his eyes. Of course he did. Riku could tell since that first time they met. “So, he’s figured if he can get Sora into his Grace Period then the two of you will eventually grow apart.”

“That’s the second time I heard that. This Grace Period is important, isn’t it?” Riku asked. Roxas nodded as he twiddled his thumbs together. It would be a hard concept to grasp for humans if Roxas didn’t explain it well.

“Where did you hear it from?” Roxas asked. Axel shifted his arms around Roxas until they encircled Roxas’s waist. Roxas didn’t notice yet, or, if he did, didn’t try to move away.

 “Demyx told me,” Riku said. “Basically, it’s like you guys stop aging.”

Roxas nodded, “There’s more to it but that’s essentially it. If Leon manages to get Sora into his Grace Period then Sora won’t be able to age again until…um…as few years have passed.” Roxas said as he looked away. Riku began to worry. Roxas wasn’t saying everything.

“Spill it,” Riku said as he looked at the blond merman. “What does a ‘few years’ exactly mean?”

“Well…you have to consider he’s the Pincoy. He holds more magic in his body and…well….if he does go into his Grace Period…we’re looking at maybe….seventy or more years….” Roxas let his voice fade.

Riku didn’t need to hear anything more. A heavy silence fell over them. Roxas felt nervous as he watched Riku’s face for any signs. His face was rather expressionless and that bothered Roxas. His eyes told a different story though as everything from anger to worry swirled together. Roxas just sat there, against Axel’s chest, as he waited.

“…how?” Riku finally asked. Roxas twiddled his thumbs together before he looked at Riku.

“I don’t exactly know. Leon didn’t explain when he told the other Guardian’s but…Cloud can explain.” Riku vague nodded, retreating back into his thoughts.

“Alright…thanks.” Riku got up and left without saying another word. Roxas looked at the door as Riku closed it.

Roxas was worried and Axel sensed it. He tightened his hold around Roxas’s waist. Roxas sighed and he hoped he did the right thing by telling Riku. That was all he could do. Tell him, warn him, and hope something happened.

“Is he going to be okay?” Roxas asked as he looked at the floor.

“He’ll be fine,” Axel said. “I’m sure he’s glad about the heads up.”

“He better be,” Roxas mumbled as he looked at his bandaged stomach.

As he looked at the floor he noticed Axel’s hands resting comfortably on his stomach. When did it get there? Roxas turned around and Axel gave him a smile. So he finally noticed. Roxas scrambled away from his arms to the other side of the room as his face quickly turned red.

Roxas didn’t turn to face Axel because he couldn’t. He was embarrassed. Had Axel been holding him like that during the whole conversation with Riku? Roxas groaned. He was sure if Sora was here, he would’ve teased him relentlessly.

“Do you hate humans that much?” Axel asked.

Roxas quickly turned around to face him, “No, it’s not that… It’s…well…I don’t hate _you_ …” He fumbled with his hands as he looked away. Cid probably would’ve really relentlessly teased him if he knew that he still couldn’t directly look into Axel’s eyes.

If he returned back to the palace, they’ll probably take away his Guardian status just for the sheer fact that he disobeyed an order.  Axel watched Roxas’s face. There were numbers of emotions that flickered through his blue eyes; some that Axel picked up and others that he didn’t because he’d immediately guard his expression. Axel needed to strike while the iron was hot, so to say.

“So, can I be your exception?” Axel asked.

Roxas finally looked at him, the look of surprise apparent on his face. Have Axel as his exception? He really didn’t like the humans but he really never had the chance to interact with them until the whole business with Sora and Riku.

Roxas looked away again. Axel got up and walked over to Roxas. He grabbed Roxas’s hand and led him back to his bed. All he did was sit back down, didn’t even try to pull Roxas back into his arms, and just held Roxas’s hand.

“You’re strange.” Roxas mumbled. Axel smiled as he looked at his merman.

“You’re stranger still.” Axel replied.

That brought a smile to Roxas’s face. Axel moved ahead as he raised his free hand and gently pressed his palm against Roxas’s cheek. He could feel the heat from Roxas’s reddening face. Roxas felt his heart thud loudly in his chest but he didn’t move away from Axel’s touch. Axel watched his face, going from a guarded awareness to a relaxed look. Roxas brought his hand up and pulled Axel’s hand away.

“Why?” He asked.

“Why what?” Axel asked.

“Do you really like me like you say you do?” Roxas asked. His expression was completely unguarded to Axel.

“I like you more than I initially thought,” Axel said, pleased to see Roxas’s face turn red. Axel smiled and decided to go all for it. He pulled Roxas onto his lap, catching his merman by complete surprise. Roxas gasped and he began to struggle but slowly came to a stop.

Axel shuffled back onto his bed until his back met the wall. He kept his arms around Roxas’s waist. “I’m not letting you go again, just to let you know.”

“I guess you can be the exception,” Roxas said. Axel grinned. “But Sora has to be with Riku. It wouldn’t be right, not to Sora.” Axel nodded.

“Of course,” Axel said. “I talked to Zexion earlier and he came up with something. Actually, he already had a plan in his head since yesterday but Demyx’s been keeping him… _busy_. Don’t tell Riku, he’ll get mad.”

Roxas pulled away, turning around so he could face Axel. “Busy? What does that mean?”

Axel grinned. “All in due time, Roxy.”

Roxas glared at him, “I didn’t say you can call me that.”

“If you say so.”

\------

When Sora woke up in the morning, he sensed something was gone.

He quickly swam to the entrance but didn’t pass through. He couldn’t feel the barrier. Sora drifted closer to the entrance. He reached out his hand and was surprised when his hand wasn’t stopped by the magic barrier that had stopped him from leaving the room before.

He moved back, not quite sure he could actually believe it. He swam forward and held out both his arms in front of him. Nothing stopped him. He smiled and swam out the room. Leon actually kept his word. Sora dashed out into the hallway. The guards at the door smiled to finally see their Pincoy with a smile on his face. Sora rushed along the various hallways, taking sharp turns in the tight corridors.

When he left the title holder’s section and entered the more spacious hallways of the palace, Sora swam faster through the arches and around pillars. It felt so good to be out of that room. Sora slowed down as he swam towards one of the arches. He sat down inside the arches high above towards the ceiling.

Sora traced his finger along the edge, his fingertip running over the small but intricate design etched into it. Sora spotted a red octopus swim towards him. He smiled and reached out as the octopus swam into his arms.

“He kept his promise, Mr. Octopus.” Sora said. It blinked as it wrapped its tentacles around Sora’s wrist.

“Yesterday, he told me he would but I…I have to enter my Grace Period…” He sighed as he heard the extra soldiers Leon assigned to him. They were calling out his name, looking for him. He shifted back into the arch, to the opposite end and fell backwards, righting himself as his tail cleared the arch.

He shouldn’t make them worry. He had to behave for Roxas’s sake and making his new guards look for him wasn’t the best way to prove that. He gave one last sigh and swam back down.

> “ _Sora, I’ll release this barrier and you’ll have most of your privileges back. You won’t be able to swim in the open ocean and I’ve assigned two new guards to you. I promise, once you’ve completed your ceremony and entered your Grace Period, you can have all of your privileges back and we’ll unassign the two new guards.”_
> 
> _“I still refuse to sing until then but after it’s over, will I be able to see Riku?” Sora asked. Leon looked at him and offered a kind smile._
> 
> _“Of course.”_

“…lair.” Sora mumbled as one of his guards spotted him.

\------

Roxas tugged at the shirt he wore. He felt…strange again. He wasn’t sure if it was the shirt he was wearing or that he was on the surface with the humans of his own violation or that he now had a human lover, Axel.

Roxas tugged the shirt down as he glanced over at Axel. Axel noticed the look and gave him a smile. Roxas blushed and grumbled and looked away. They were on their way to Demyx’s room.

Riku was already over there, having spent the night in Tidus’s room. Axel pulled Roxas towards him, draping an arm around Roxas’s shoulder as he kicked the door open.

“Hold your applause; we’ll accept gifts in the form of booze and money!” Axel yelled.

Demyx was right by the door and so he yelled in surprise as he jumped away. Riku merely gave him an acknowledging look. Nothing Axel could do would surprise Riku anymore; a nice after effect of being his dorm mate.

“You have issues!!” Demyx yelled from behind the floor. He had tripped over his own legs when Axel burst into the room. Axel grinned he walked over to Demyx’s bed and pulled Roxas onto his lap. Riku arched an eyebrow at him. Roxas blushed and struggled against Axel’s hold but Axel just held on tighter.

“Axel…!” Roxas vehemently mumbled.

“So you two are together?” Demyx asked as he sat down at his desk’s chair. Roxas kept quiet, too flustered and embarrassed to respond though Demyx didn’t need an answer. It was quite obvious.

“He has a condition though so we have to get Sora back.” Axel said. He remembered. Roxas smiled and relaxed just a little in Axel’s arms. He still didn’t like the fact that Axel was holding him down on his lap.

“I thought you didn’t like humans?” Riku asked. Roxas looked over at Riku and stared at him for a moment.

“I still don’t but Axel’s an exception,” Roxas said. “I rather see Sora happy with you than being miserable alone.” That was as much as an acknowledgement Roxas was going to give him regarding Sora. Riku accepted it. It was better to have Roxas on his side at the moment.

“Where’s Zexion?” Roxas asked as he looked at Demyx.

“Over here.” Four heads turned to look at the doorway. It was Zexion with Cloud and as they stepped in to the room, another person walked in; Sephiroth. He closed the door behind him and for a moment, no one talked.

It was kind of weird, having a professor in the room. Roxas, ignoring the slight awkwardness in the room, stared at him. In some ways, he reminded Roxas of Leon in the way Sephiroth just looked calm and bored at the same time.

Roxas didn’t even try to disguise the fact that he was staring at him. He was the human who took Cloud away from Leon.

Oddly enough, Roxas didn’t feel any hostility towards him. His instinct told him he should be careful around Sephiroth but other than that, there was no real immediate threat.  Sephiroth finally decided to stare back at Roxas. Roxas, for his part didn’t look away even though he was caught staring.

“You must be the Pincoy’s Guardian.” He said.

“Eh, you can tell?” Roxas asked.

Sephiroth nodded, “Your necklace and that bravado for so openly staring.”

Roxas smirked, “I can’t exactly call myself a Guardian if I don’t properly study new potential threats.”

“And what did your ‘study’ say about me.” Sephiroth asked.

“I have to be cautious.” Roxas simply said. Sephiroth looked over at Cloud.

“This one I like.” He said.

“Alright, that’s all and good,” Zexion finally spoke up. “Roxas, what’re you doing here?”

“Leon wants to push Sora’s Grace Period way ahead than planned. I don’t know why but I don’t think it’s good.” Roxas said.

“It’s not,” Cloud said. He was sitting down in Zexion’s desk chair with Sephiroth standing right next to him. “Sora doesn’t have complete control of his magic, does he?”

Roxas nodded, “He had these blue-ish looking wisps of magic circling his body when I last saw him yesterday.”

“Who’s making him upset?” Zexion asked.

“Leon. Why?” Roxas answered.

“He’s still an idiot,” Zexion muttered as he leaned against the wall. “So that means Sora stopped singing. How thick was it?”

“Barely an inch but he can’t make it disappear anymore. He told me himself” Roxas said. He shifted over, sitting beside Axel instead of on his lap. “Is this important?”

“Yes, considering it’s dangerous for him to even try and contain that amount of magic in his body. Speaking of magic…” Zexion reached into his pocket and pulled out Sora’s necklace. He gave it one last look before he tossed it to Riku. Riku caught it, the glimmering swirl of Sora’s magic shimmered inside.

“Did you figure anything out?” Riku asked as he looked at Zexion.

Zexion nodded, “You found an Orichalcum. In simple terms, it’s like a diamond but more rare and precious. You’re damn lucky to have found one and even more lucky to have given it to Sora. That was able to help Sora control his flow of magic. Also, with that, you’ll be able to get Sora back.”

“And by that you mean…”

“Exchanging your legs for a tail.” Zexion said. The room went quiet. Riku looked at Sora’s necklace, wondering how that little thing would possibly give him a tail. He looked down at his feet then back at the necklace.

“Hell no!” Axel shouted, breaking the silence. “I want to go too!”

“That’s why I’m here.” Sephiroth said. He reached into his jacket’s pocket and he pulled out a necklace similar to Sora’s. It was a light blue diamond and the magic swirling inside made it glimmer. Roxas started at it, then to the necklace around Zexion’s neck.

“Why do you have two Guardian necklaces?” Roxas asked as looked at Zexion.

“Cloud owed me for all those time I accompanied him to rendezvous with him over there.” Zexion said as he pointed at Sephiroth. “All that matters is that you three will go to the palace to get Sora back.”

“They’re not going to let him go that easily.”

“I’m going as well.” Cloud said, gaining the curious look from Sephiroth. No small wonder either as Cloud hadn’t mentioned it to him beforehand. Sephiroth was going to have questions. He might as well answer them now than later. He stood up and grabbed Sephiroth’s arm.

“We’ll be back later. Riku and Axel, you two should go to the pool and practice.” He shared a look with Zexion then left with Sephiroth. Once the door was closed, Sephiroth turned to look at Cloud. Cloud stared back then began to walk down the hallway to the elevator.

“You’re going?” Sephiroth asked.

Cloud nodded, “I know I gave up my voice but I still have just enough magic to be able to do this.” The doors pinged and slid open. Sephiroth and Cloud stepped aside as a group of chattering students walked out the elevator. Cloud walked in, Sephiroth right behind him as the doors closed.

“You already know I don’t like this idea.” Sephiroth said, “But I suppose it’s pointless.”

“You actually don’t mind?” Cloud asked. He was sure Sephiroth was going to do everything in his power to stop him. That was the only reason why he left the room. Sephiroth smiled as he watched Cloud’s expression. He trapped Cloud into a corner of the elevator.

“I _do_ mind. I’m just going to make sure I give you enough reason to come back.” Sephiroth said as he leaned down to kiss Cloud. The doors pinged open. Cloud didn’t remember pushing the button to open it…or to even take them to the first floor. Riku, Axel, and Roxas stared at them, not quite sure how they should react. Sephiroth grumbled as he turned to push the button to make the doors close.

“Use the damn stairs.”

\------

“Alright, so how do we do this?” Riku asked. After, taking the stairs to the first floor and heading over to the pool, Riku and Axel had stripped down and jumped into the cold water. Riku wore Sora’s necklace.

The gem glimmered, almost as if it was waiting to be used. Axel wore the necklace Sephiroth had given him. Roxas had changed from the shorts to the soft pearl cloth he wore before. He had it tied around his waist, the hem just brushing against his thighs. Axel made a mental note to never throw that cloth away. He had plans for it.

“Well, I’m not sure but it’s simple. It’s the same as how you conjure your fire, Axel.” Axel lifted his hand out the water and an instant later he held a small flame in his hands. Axel shook his hand, extinguishing the flame as he nodded.

“Let me see you with your tail then. That’ll help.” Axel said. Roxas nodded as he walked to the edge of the pool.

He sat down, dipping his legs into the cold water. Trails of magic instantly warped around his legs. His feet turned into a fin, his skin replaced by his gorgeous deep blue hue scales. The magic threads dispersed, revealing Roxas as he naturally was.

Riku looked away, closing his eyes as he thought about Sora. He remembered the way Sora looked underwater, the way the light seemed to shimmer off his scales underwater. He felt something flow from the necklace and down his body. Riku didn’t open his eyes as he submerged into the water. He sunk to the bottom of the pool.

With his eyes still closed, Riku ran his hands down his chest until he felt an unfamiliar skin texture around his waist. Skin had transformed into scales and as he ran his hands all the way down, he realized he had an actual tail. He opened his eyes.

His vision was clear, ten times clearer than they would’ve normally been underwater. Instead of looking at his legs, he stared at a tail covered in silver scales. Down the side of his tail was a single blue strip that resembled his eye color. His lungs began to burn. It was now or never.

He breathed in…and somehow he wasn’t drowning. Riku took another deep breath in and he still wasn’t choking on water. He grinned, the initial rush of panic quickly being replaced by excitement. A flash of red caught his attention and he saw Axel swim towards him. His own legs were replaced by a tail covered in scales as red as his hair.

“This is actually pretty cool.” Axel said.

“We can talk underwater too?”

“Of course you can,” Roxas swam towards them. “We don’t talk in clicks like dolphins do though Sora does but he’s the Pincoy. He can talk to any sea creature. Surface already so Zexion can talk to the two of you.” Roxas swam back towards the surface, Axel trailing behind him.

Everything was sort of surreal as Riku lifted himself up from the pool’s floor and swam to the surface of the pool. Riku surfaced and swam towards the edge of the pool, grabbing the ledge and pulled himself up. Axel had captured Roxas by surprise and dragged him back down underneath the water.

“Idiot.” Zexion muttered. Not a second later, Roxas shot out of the water. He swam towards the edge of the pool and quickly lifted himself up and out of the water. Axel surfaced…holding his hand to his right eye. Roxas punched him again and for whatever reason, Riku didn’t want to know. Riku looked over at Roxas, who had this sullen and angry expression. It didn’t take long to figure it out.

“Really?” Riku asked as Axel swam near.

Axel grinned, “Hey, I had to ask.”

“Come near me or I’ll hurt you even worse.” Roxas mumbled angrily.

“Alright, enough,” Zexion said. “You can kill him later, Roxas. Right now, you need to tell me the layout of the palace, Sora’s Guardians, and anything else that’s important.” Roxas nodded as he started talking.

Riku listened carefully. He was going to get Sora back, no matter what.


	18. Chapter 18

“Dammit!” Axel yelled as he dodged an attack from Roxas.

He could feel the blade slice through the water, where his arm was just seconds ago. He flipped over and swam away.

Roxas was deadly in the water; even more so with two swords in his hands. Axel twirled his chakrams, anticipating what Roxas would do. While focusing on Axel, Roxas didn’t seem to notice Riku who had swam underneath him.

He was using the dark depths of the sea as camouflage.

Axel grinned and he rushed forward just as Riku quickly rose up, his sword posed for attack. Roxas smirked as he stood still. He flipped upside down when they were close, parrying Riku’s blow with both his swords. The force knocked Riku back and just before Axel could attack, Roxas flipped right side up using the momentum as force as he slammed his powerful tail against Axel’s chest.

Axel had the breath knocked out of him as he was pushed back almost twenty feet away. Riku recovered and charged again. Roxas blocked, waiting for his attack when Riku suddenly dove down. Caught off guard, Roxas dropped his guard and went after Riku.

Then, quite suddenly, Riku turned back around, swimming towards him at full speed. Roxas brought his arms up, defending himself. Riku grinned as he quickly twisted around and knocked his tail against Roxas’s arm. He flinched in pain as he felt the blades dig into his flesh but it got the job done; he had disarmed Roxas.

Five days of practicing how to fight under water, and he had finally disarmed Roxas.

“Excellent,” Roxas said before he dived down to retrieve the swords he borrowed from Sephiroth. He rose back up and looked at the Riku’s tail. There were two long gashes parallel from each other along the side of his tail. “But it was stupid for you to have done that.” Axel swam towards them, noticing the fight was over. He then noticed the blood seeping out of the wound on Riku’s tail.

“What the hell happened?” Axel asked.

“He tried to cut his tail off.” Roxas said as he swam towards the surface.

Axel looked at Riku but Riku shrugged and followed Roxas. Every time he moved his tail, a sharp pain would jolt up his spine. He didn’t think it’ll hurt that much. He bared the lancing pain until they surfaced.

The sun was already starting to set, the horizon colored with a dark orange and red. Roxas was already halfway out the water, magic trailing off him as he entered the shallow water. He did it so effortlessly, transforming from a tail to legs in one swift motion. Riku and Axel had to stop and give it a quick thought before the magic worked its way to their legs.

As Riku got his legs back and stood up in the shallow water, he grunted in pain and looked down. The two large gashes were on his left leg, just below his knees. Axel looked back.

“Holy shit!” He yelled as he ran back towards Riku.

“You really do know how to keep things inconspicuous.” Riku muttered sarcastically. Axel brushed it off as he kneeled down.

“I think I can see your leg bone.” Axel said. Riku slightly panicked.

“Are you serious?” He asked.

Axel looked up at him with a serious expression. “Nope,” He grinned. “But it is really deep. What the hell did you do?” He stood back up.

“I disarmed Roxas with my tail.”

“You sure you weren’t trying to slice it off instead.” Axel asked.

“Funny.” He bluntly said as he started wobbling towards the shore. It was almost funny watching Riku try and bend down to pick up his shorts. Axel himself had a cloth wrapped around his waist, much like Roxas.

After a struggling attempt and many muttered curses, Riku was finally able to pull on his shorts. Axel watched and chuckled to himself for a few seconds before he easily caught up to Riku. He grabbed Riku’s arm and pulled it across his shoulders as he helped Riku walk.

“I can still walk.” He said.

“Yeah, well, if I don’t help I’ll probably laugh my ass off seeing you wobble.” He said.

“Asshole.” Riku muttered again. Roxas, already near the wooden shack, had wrapped the pearl-colored cloth around his waist. He turned around, Axel and Riku slowly walking towards him. He glanced down at Riku’s legs and winced. He jogged towards them. They stopped as Roxas kneeled down in front of Riku.

“Can you set him down?” Roxas asked. Axel nodded as Riku slipped his arm away from Axel’s shoulder. He used Axel’s help to sit down on the warm sand. Roxas placed his hands over the wound. Riku could feel a faint force coming from Roxas’s hands. He watched as the large gashes pulled together and seamlessly closed.

Roxas ran his hands down Riku’s calf, making sure he didn’t miss any more torn muscles. Satisfied with his healing, he smiled as he pulled his hands away. “There. All better though next time, you shouldn’t try that move again. You might not be so lucky.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Riku said as he looked at his newly healed leg.

“What else can you do with necklace?” Axel asked as they began walking back to the dock.

Roxas reached up and touched his necklace. “It depends on the person really. I mostly use it to amplify my strength in battle and to heal flesh wounds.”

“Amplify? So, down there just now you strengthened yourself?” Riku asked.

Roxas shook his head, “That was about half my strength. I don’t really use it unless it’s a real battle. Even then, it’s only for emergencies. Cid puts us through hell to build our own strength before he tells us how to amplify it with the necklace.”

“The more you talk about this Cid guy, the more I can’t help but feel discouraged.” Riku said. Roxas chuckled.

“It is his job to train Guardians for the Sirena, Pincoya, and Pincoy. Of course he’ll be ten times tougher for those chosen to be the Guardians for Sora, our Pincoy.” Roxas said. Axel reached the boat first.

He untied the rope and held it as Roxas and Riku climbed in. Then he pushed the boat further into the sea until the shallow banks ended. He hopped on and grabbed an oar. Axel sat down next to Riku, who had the other oar. Roxas sat in front of them on the boat’s floor, leaning back against the end of the boat. He sat down in front of them, the faint but visible coast line of the main island just ahead of them.

“Cloud…he’s a Pincoy too, right?” Riku asked.

Roxas nodded, “He is but there’s something off about him.” Roxas said, biting the pad of his thumb.

“What do you mean by off?” Axel asked. Roxas shrugged as he tried to come up with the words to explain it well.

“I’m not sure if this’ll make sense or not but…I think he’s losing his magic. When I sensed him, I could tell he had less magic than an average merman. He’s the Pincoy though so it doesn’t make sense. He felt more human than merman.” Riku stayed quiet. Axel looked out at the sea, the boat getting closer to the main island. He looked back at Roxas who was still nibbling on the pad of his thumb with a thoughtful expression.

“Y’know,” Axel said, catching Roxas’s attention. “You look sexy that way.” A muscle twitched in Roxas’s arm. He lifted his leg and kicked Axel’s shin. Axel grunted in pain as Roxas jumped over the side of the boat into the water.

“I’m going on ahead!” He yelled.

Axel grinned, “He’s painfully cute.”

“Shut up and row.” Riku said.

\------

In the faint darkness of their room, Demyx slipped his arms around Zexion’s body. They were laying together on the Demyx’s bed, Zexion’s back to Demyx. It wasn’t nighttime yet but it was getting there as the sun was almost swallowed by the horizon.

Zexion was tired from all the planning of sabotage. Demyx kissed the back of Zexion’s neck, running his fingers around Zexion’s navel. Zexion shivered slightly. He grabbed Demyx’s circling hand and stopped it. What he wanted was sleep and Demyx was damn near hard to persuade when Zexion was tired.

“I’m trying to sleep.” He said.

Demyx smiled, pulling Zexion closer to his body. “Well, you recently got back. I think I deserve this much.” He didn’t need to see Zexion’s face to know that he was scowling. Demyx ran his hand up Zexion’s bare chest.

They suddenly heard a loud noise from the hallway. They could hear Axel’s voice slowly get louder.

“Roxy! I know you’re just embarrassed.” Roxas stomped down the hallway, putting as much distance as he can from Axel.

“Shut up, you jerk!” A door slammed open then shut. Demyx and Zexion heard nothing until they heard Riku walk past their door.

“I’m just going to sleep in Tidus’s room again.”

Demyx chuckled as the hallways were quiet again. He smiled and resumed his light touches on Zexion’s chest. He gently rubbed his legs against Zexion’s leg and hugged Zexion even closer.

“What are you doing?” Zexion asked, shifting over onto his back. He turned his head to look at Demyx. Demyx grinned and moved his head closer to kiss him.

“I’m just happy. My birthday’s coming soon and you promised yourself to me.”

“Don’t say it like that, idiot,” Zexion said. Demyx chuckled as he held Zexion’s hand under the covers. Demyx moved his head closer to Zexion’s, their foreheads softly pressed against each other.

“I have been waiting almost all my life,” Demyx said. “Axel has it lucky, that Roxas’s still hasn’t entered his Grace Period. He doesn’t have to wait too long.” Zexion stayed silent.

Demyx lifted his hand from the covers and pressed it against the side of Zexion’s face. He brushed the long bangs that covered his right eye. Zexion had the eye closed; his other aqua eye stared at Demyx. He sighed as he opened his right eye. An off-colored aqua iris eye stared back. Faded pink scars surrounded his eye, sporadic lines that reached over to the end of his ear; the result of a younger, curious Zexion and a pissed off jellyfish.

“You and your eye fetish.” Zexion said as he turned his head and stared at the ceiling.

Demyx grinned, “Only for you.”

\------

A few doors down, in Axel’s room, Roxas stared at Axel’s long fingers. They were sitting together on Axel’s bed in the dark, Roxas leaning against Axel’s chest in-between his legs. They sat there for the past hour, just sitting together in silence. Roxas’s thoughts kept him from talking but Axel didn’t mind. He knew Roxas was worried about tomorrow; the day they were going to rescue Sora. Roxas thought about that and chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Axel asked.

“We’re going to rescue Sora but it’s more like a kidnapping.”

“It’s a kidnapping for the greater good.” Axel said. Roxas softly laughed and grabbed Axel’s hand, absentmindedly tracing the lines on Axel’s palm. A kidnapping for the greater good? Roxas smiled and lifted Axel’s hand to his face. He stared at his long fingers.

“This has to work.” Roxas whispered. Axel looked at the top of Roxas’s head and held him closer.

“Of course it is,” Axel said. “We’ll get Sora back before he goes through that ceremony thing.”

Roxas nodded. He didn’t talk again for awhile, his thoughts once again occupying his mind. Axel didn’t complain at all. Roxas grabbed Axel’s hands again, looking at Axel’s long fingers.

He didn’t exactly know why he kept grabbing Axel’s hands. He knew it made him feel better by just holding his hands or touching his long, calloused fingers. Roxas closed his eyes. It was important to him to get Sora back to Riku so that Sora would be happy but, it was important for him as well and not for Sora’s sake.

“Axel, I know I already asked but…do you really like me?” Roxas asked, staring at Axel’s fingers. He gripped them in his hands.

He felt nervous all over, his stomach doing unfamiliar flips. Axel slipped his fingers away from Roxas’s grasp. He gently pulled back Roxas’s head and kissed his forehead. Roxas blinked and stared up at Axel. His face was lit up by the faint moonlight streaming through the window. His green eyes were oddly bright, bright green orbs that stared right at him. Roxas blushed but he didn’t look away.

“Of course I do,” Axel said. “I’m your exception and if that’s the case, I’ll work hard to love you until you at least start to love me.”

Roxas remained quiet. He looked out the window, the moon visible in the clear dark sky. He moved away from Axel and climbed out of bed as he walked towards the window. He pressed his palm against the cool window plane. The sea was just one big black mass. He could see the reflection of the moon on the sea’s rippling surface. He felt nervous.

It felt like his heart was thumping underneath every inch of his skin. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off. Then he turned around, his body illuminated by the moonlight, as he faced Axel.

“Then show me how you humans have sex,” He asked Axel. Axel blinked in utter shock.

He stared at Roxas for a few seconds, not sure if he actually heard what he just heard. When Axel realized that Roxas actually _did_ ask him that, Axel flopped down on the bed and groaned even louder into the mattress. Roxas quickly became confused.

That wasn’t the sort of reaction he was expecting. He walked back to the bed. “Axel?”

“You’re pushing all the right buttons at the wrong time, Roxas.” Axel said, sitting upright. He leaned forward and grabbed Roxas’s hand. He pulled the merman onto the bed and right on his lap, Roxas facing him. He stared at Axel, a mixture of surprise and confusion. Axel looked at Roxas, his eyes once again serious.

“Trust me when I say I want to devour you.” Roxas blushed and looked away out of embarrassment. “But…and I can’t believe I’m actually turning down sex but…not tonight.”

“Why not?”

“You’re nervous about tomorrow and not exactly in your right state of mind. I can’t take advantage of that ‘cause it’s not right. I want to take you when you know I’m going take you. Once we get Sora back, then we could do it. It’ll be celebratory sex!” Axel said loudly.

He sighed and looked away from Roxas. “I just turned down sex.” He said in a horrified tone. “I bet somewhere a pig is flying away from graduating college with a Masters in quantum physics.”

Roxas didn’t understand a word in that sentence but he smiled. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around Axel’s neck. Axel smiled and fell backwards with Roxas on top of him. He wrapped his arms around Roxas’s waist and held him. Axel could feel Roxas’s body quiver slightly.

“Are you crying?” Axel asked.

“…don’t be stupid, jerk.” Roxas mumbled, stifling a sniff. Roxas wasn’t sad at all. If anything, they were tears of happiness. Axel read him so easily. Almost as if he knew Roxas for years rather than a couple of weeks.

 Roxas wanted to help Sora get together with Riku again but, more importantly than that, Roxas wanted to stay with Axel.

\------

The turtle that always accompanied Sora slapped his front flipper against Sora’s forehead. Sora smiled and looked up, seeing just the head of the turtle that was resting on top of his head. He reached up and grabbed the turtle and held it in his hands.

“I think Riku is probably asleep by now.” He stared out into the open sea before him. For the past five days, Sora spent most of his time sitting just before the large open entrance to the palace. He would sit down as close as he was allowed, with his extra guards stationed at either end of the entrance.

Sora would simply stare out into the large ocean. The guards of the palace found it peculiar because they weren’t used to Sora just sitting there. The threads of magic around Sora were constantly swirling around him and there seemed to be a new strand each day. Sora didn’t mind them at all. He learned as long as he kept calm, they were easy to manage and really pretty to look at.

“Sora.” 

There was an exception. One strand thickened just slightly. He sighed and left it alone. It wouldn’t trouble him. Sora pushed himself back, lying down on the ground as he saw Leon floating nearby.

“I’m just looking. I’m allowed that much, right?” Sora asked, looking at his Guardian.

“It’s fine. We need to talk.” Sora stared at him then nodded as he lifted himself off the ground as he followed Leon. Sora held the turtle against his chest. He caught up to Leon then pulled back before he swam up to Leon again before he pulled back again. Leon stopped, noticing Sora’s behavior. Sora didn’t notice him and he bumped into Leon. Sora quickly swam back.

“Why’d you stop?” He asked.

“You have something to ask me, don’t you?” Leon asked. He knew that Sora wanted to ask a question that Leon wouldn’t particularly like. It was a habit of his since Sora was small.

“Why do you hate Riku so much?” Sora asked.

“I don’t hate him. I hate what he is.” Leon replied. Sora hugged the turtle closer. That wasn’t a reason.

It was an excuse.

Sora said nothing. It was obvious Leon wasn’t going to tell him anything. Why did he even bother? That answer just left him frustrated and a tad bit mad but mad enough that a few other strands of magic encircling him thickened. He wanted to go back to the entrance so he could stare out at the dark expanse of the sea. It seemed to be the only thing that calmed him down.

“What did you want to talk about?” Sora asked. He might as well hear what Leon had to say then leave.

“Your Grace Period. Do you still refuse to sing?” Leon asked. Sora nodded. He looked at Leon, asking with his eyes if that was all. Leon nodded and Sora quickly swam away. He watched him go as an octopus swam past his head. It had something round in its tentacles.

“Why don’t you tell him?” Naminé asked, turning around the corner.

Before he could answer, Kairi appeared right next to her and in her best imitation of Leon’s voice said, “Because he doesn’t need to know.”

“The less he knows, the better he’ll be off.” Leon said. Kairi shook her head as she swam past Naminé.

“You’re just hurting him, Leon, and not just by forcing him into his Grace Period when his magic hasn’t even reached its peak.”  

Kairi swam towards Leon, stopping right in front of him. “Have you seen him lately? I mean, _really_ seen him? He’s not the same. He almost never smiles and even if he does it’s kind of forced. His appetite is completely gone too. He used to devour everything but the table! Also, he has those freaky threads of magic that encircle his body. And it seems like he using trying his hardest to control them. If I had those things, I’ll zap you until you’ve reached your senses! Stupid, controlling jerk! You’re not even doing your job as Sora’s Guardian!” With that last outburst, she quickly swam past Leon. She didn’t mean to start yelling at him but it just came on so suddenly. Leon looked back behind him; Naminé was still there.

“Do you have anything to add?” He asked. Naminé shook her head as she began swimming around Leon.

“I know you already know what you’re doing is wrong. I just wish you would stop trying to make Sora forget about Riku. He’s already let Riku into his heart.”

\------

> _“Are you sure you want to do this?” Zexion asked. Sephiroth remained quiet as he stared at the ocean. Cloud was in there. He was there without him. He couldn’t let things stay the way they were. It wasn’t in his nature. Besides, they were severely underestimating him if they thought he wasn’t going to do anything._
> 
> _“I’m just going to take back what is mine.” Sephiroth said. The sun was still rising in the sky, bringing the start of a new day. He stepped into the sea, the water rushing over his feet as the small waved pulled back. Sephiroth took off his long coat, revealing to be completely naked underneath it as he tossed it aside. His long hair completely covered his backside, a few strands catching the sun’s light._
> 
> _He grabbed the gem on the necklace, the magic swirling violently around inside. Zexion sighed as he walked up beside him._
> 
> _“Don’t be too reckless, idiot.” Zexion said as he handed Sephiroth a slim sword. Sephiroth took it and examined the sword. It was nothing like his Masamune and half the size but he liked the feel to it._
> 
> _“Who are you calling an idiot?” Sephiroth asked._
> 
> _“You,” Zexion said as he began walking further into the sea. “You’re about to enter the Lion’s den, so to speak, with nothing but that sword and no practice with a tail. I also have almost twenty more years than you. Hell, twenty years ago you weren’t even born yet so I have every right to call you an idiot.” Zexion dove into the water, a tail disappearing into the water. Sephiroth smirked._
> 
> _“At least I’ll admit this is reckless.” Sephiroth said as he walked into the sea._


	19. Chapter 19

> _Cloud was half asleep when he heard a noise._
> 
> _It’s started as a buzz until it gradually grew to yelling. He stared at the wall, not really caring what the commotion was about. It was probably another attack by a rival Kingdom. Cid and Zexion would take care of it. Cloud grumbled as he tried to push back any thoughts of Leon._
> 
> _It’s been at least two weeks since he’d seen Sephiroth or even allowed to surface. He felt suffocated. Cloud sighed as he pulled the soft cloth off his body. It was getting a bit too loud. He swam towards the entrance and looked around. He noticed a soldier carrying several spears. He swam out his room and the soldier stopped as Cloud had blocked his way._
> 
> _“What’s going on?” He asked, still half asleep._
> 
> _“We’re being attacked, Pincoy, by an unknown enemy.” The soldier said._
> 
> _“Unknown?”_
> 
> _“Yes, Pincoy,” The soldier said with a nod. “He doesn’t bare any symbol from the other Kingdoms but he’s absurdly strong.”_
> 
> _“…unknown…maybe he’s an assassin?” Cloud pondered._
> 
> _“I hope not, Pincoy. Please look for Cid or Leon. I have to get going.” Cloud nodded as he backed away._
> 
> _The soldier respectfully bowed before he swam off. Of course, he wasn’t going to look for Cid or Leon._
> 
> _Cloud was interested now to see who would have the palace all worked up. He swam down the hallway into the larger arched hallway of the palace. He could hear more commotion coming from the entrance. He ignored it. It was just soldiers ordering battle plans. Cloud closed his eyes and sung a quick melody. A moment later, a cookie cutter shark swam towards him._
> 
> _“Do you know who’s attacking?” He asked. The shark circled around Cloud. Cloud reached out and touched its fin. The shark didn’t know. Cloud nodded and the shark swam away. He swam towards the ground and looked around. Once he was sure no one was coming, he tapped his hand along the ground where the wall and floor met. It didn’t take him long to find it._
> 
> _A large octopus was covering the hole. The skin camouflaged as a part of the sandy ground and wall. It moved to the side and Cloud swam through._
> 
> _“Thank you.” Cloud said. If there was one perk of being a Pincoy, it was the fact that Cloud could talk to all the other sea creatures. It came in handy when he needed to find all the hidden pathways in the Palace._
> 
> _The pathway he was in would lead him outside; he’d used it often enough in the past few days. He followed the short path until he swam out of the palace. He looked up and noticed the outside walls. Cloud swam upwards and carefully started to circle the place._
> 
> _He could probably take this time to leave the palace and head towards the surface. Cid and Leon would probably find him again but at least it was an idea. He sighed and slowly drifted away from his home but he couldn’t turn away._
> 
> _His curiosity wouldn’t let him not follow it. He swam around the palace, away from the entrance and towards the back near the garden. He heard metal clang against each other and a disgruntled yell. Cloud swam faster until he saw a wounded soldier swim away._
> 
> _His eyes widened in shock. It couldn’t be, could it?_
> 
> _A long curtain of silver hair surrounded an all too familiar torso. There was a glimmering necklace on him. Cloud could feel his magic radiating off that gem. The legs were gone but were replaced by a sliver tail._
> 
> _Cloud noticed a few scales that shimmered into that odd colored green of Sephiroth’s eyes whenever he moved, particularly down the length of his tail. A motion from the palace caught his attention as three soldiers charged at Sephiroth._
> 
> _Sephiroth waited until they were an arm’s length away before he quickly disarmed two of the soldiers. Sephiroth attacked that lone armed soldier with his own blade. The two disarmed soldiers charged from behind, thinking they’ll win. Sephiroth smirked as he grabbed the arm of the soldier in front of him. He flipped backward and slammed the soldiers’ body into the two soldiers behind him. They were knocked back from the blow and swam away._
> 
> _It really was him. Did he really come to get him? Was Cloud just dreaming? There was only one way he would be sure._
> 
> _“Sephiroth!!” He yelled, swimming towards him._
> 
> _Sephiroth turned around, a curtain of silk framed his face and those strange green eyes stared at him. Cloud swam towards him, not slowing down until he roughly crashed into him. He held Sephiroth tight, keeping his arms wrapped around Sephiroth’s neck._
> 
> _He wasn’t dreaming. He was really hugging Sephiroth. Sephiroth looked down at Cloud’s blond hair. He smiled softly as he patted his head._
> 
> _“You’re really here, right?” Cloud’s said, his voice muffled._
> 
> _“Yes.”_
> 
> _“Am I dreaming?”_
> 
> _“No.”_
> 
> _Cloud held on tighter. He missed Sephiroth so much. For having used Sephiroth for a distraction to his responsibility, Cloud never would have figured he would miss him so much. He couldn’t be away from Sephiroth any longer. He had to stay with him, always. “I…I’m not letting you go.”_
> 
> _Sephiroth chuckled, “That should be my line,” Cloud smiled. He tilted his head up and kissed Sephiroth; their kiss hidden from view by Sephiroth’s floating hair. “I would’ve found you earlier instead of playing around with these soldiers.” Cloud smiled again._
> 
> _“Pincoy! What’re you doing?!”_
> 
> _Cloud looked at the Palace. Almost every guard was there, posed to attack Sephiroth but…they couldn’t do anything with Cloud next to him. He could see Leon and Cid swim past the guards. It was not looking good. They’ll keep chasing after them until Cloud was separated from Sephiroth again._
> 
> _Cloud couldn’t let that happen. Sephiroth picked up on Cloud’s panicking nerves._
> 
> _“Don’t worry,” Sephiroth said as he leaned close and whispered into Cloud’s ear. “By the time this is over, they’ll have no choice but to let you go.”_

\------

Riku barely slept last night.

He maybe had a few odd hours of sleep but he kept waking up sporadically. So he opted to stare at the ceiling for the night. A loud snore interrupted Riku’s ceiling watch. Riku looked down at the floor from Tidus’s bed. Tidus barely had the covers on him, his body splayed out like a crooked X.

Riku sighed as he looked back at the ceiling. He picked up the necklace and held it up as he watched Sora’s gem glimmer faintly. He wondered what Sora was doing.

Did he know they were coming?

What would Sora do?

Riku stopped thinking, almost giving himself a smack on his forehead. He knew what Sora would do. Sora would smile. He would smile and cry at the same time. Riku was sure he would. He smiled as he looked at the gem…then Tidus snorted again, completely ruining the mood.

Riku frowned as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He lifted both his feet up in the air and positioned them over Tidus’s stomach. Without a second thought or regard to Tidus, he slammed his feet down on Tidus’s stomach.

“Arrrggh!!” Tidus yelled in pain. He rolled over to his side and curled up. Tidus wrapped his arms around his stomach, grunting and muttering.

“You should really stop that snoring.” Riku said as he stood.

“…god…you fu…ah…bastard….” Tidus mumbled, still rolling in pain.

“Hey, I could’ve cured you of that snoring,” Riku said. “You should be grateful.” Tidus slowly sat up, his arms still clutching his stomach.

“…you suck!! Who the hell does that to a sleeping person!?” Tidus yelled then he coughed and groaned some more.

“A person tired of listening to you snore.”

“God…when’s the last time you had sex! Jeez, I mean, you’re in a much better mode after you’ve done it.” Tidus said. He patted his stomach and slowly stood up. His stomach twitched painfully. He groaned and fell backwards on his bed. He didn’t notice the penetrating stare from Riku. Tidus slowly stretched out and laid down on his belly. He sighed contentedly.

Riku, in the midst of having removed his shirt grinned. Without warning, he quickly rushed over to the bed and sat on Tidus’s back.

“Arrgh!” Tidus screamed again. Riku smirked.

“Do you really think you’re in any position to ask when the last time I got laid?” Riku asked, punctuating every word with a bounce. “You can’t even get to first base with Selphie.”

“Shut up! I…I will!” Tidus yelled.

“When? In the next few years? Because I heard that Hayner wanted to ask her out.”

“I’ll kill him!” Tidus yelled again with fire in his eyes. Riku chuckled.

“Calm down, Sparky.” Riku said, patting his back.

“But…I thought Hayner liked Olette?” Tidus asked, no longer caring that Riku was still sitting on top of him.

“She’s with Pence.” Riku said, carrying on the conversation. Tidus groaned again, not in pain but in frustration. “Also, that guy, RA to the other boys’ dorm…I think his name is Seifer. He’s got his eyes on Hayner.”

“Then why is he going after Selphie?” Tidus asked. Riku shrugged. The door to the room swung open and Axel stepped in. He looked at the sight; a bare-chested Riku sitting on top of Tidus. Axel blinked then slyly grinned.

“My, I didn’t know you were into that, Riku.” Axel said. Riku ignored that, knowing when Axel was aiming to tease. Tidus, on the other hand, didn’t.

“What do you mean?” He asked. Riku sighed as Axel walked into the room.

“S&M,” Axel said in a cheery voice.

Riku got off of Tidus as the short blond blushed fiercely. He waved his arms around and denied that he wasn’t into that at all. Axel chuckled, trying to make sense of the stuttering word vomit that was pouring out of Tidus’s mouth. “What were you doing?”

“Venting,” Riku said. “Then before that I woke him up by stomping my feet into his stomach.”

“I’m glad I spent my night with Roxas,” Axel said. “Zexion and Cloud should be ready to leave soon.” Riku nodded and Axel left. He could hear Roxas in the hallway and Axel mentioning the showers. Riku sighed as he closed the door. Tidus had calmed down and he stared intently at Riku.

“What is it?” Riku asked. He could feel Tidus’s stare.

“Demyx keeps me updated on your love life. About Sora, is he really gone?”

“I’m bringing him back,” Riku said. “And I’m not letting him go a third time.” Tidus rolled onto his back. He pushed his head to the edge of the bed, letting his head dangle upside as he looked at Riku.

“You sound really cool.” Tidus said. “I guess Sora’s lucky to have you in that sense.”

“Are you trying to say something?” Riku asked. Tidus shrugged, his head still hanging off the side of the bed. He rolled over and landed with a soft thud on the floor. He had started to get dizzy from the blood rush.

“Well, I don’t know too much about mermaids and whatnot, they are kind of secretive, but Sora seems like a nice guy so, bring him back,” Tidus said. Riku looked at him then he smiled. “But I still don’t know why you’re dating a different species.”

Then Riku’s smile was gone.

Leave it to Tidus to just not know when to shut up. Either way, it was sort of nice while it lasted. He grabbed a towel from Tidus’s closet and headed towards the door. He stopped at the threshold and looked back at Tidus.

“Considering your past record and failed attempt at Selphie, I think dating different species, preferably a merman as you have no skills at girls, human or mermaid, might be your only choice.” Riku said as he closed the door. Tidus yelled and something hard thudded against the door.

Riku smirked as he walked towards the shower. He opened the door and immediately heard Roxas’s voice. He entered the first empty stall he saw threw his towel over the short door and turned the nozzle.

A cascade of cold water pelted down on him. He shivered and turned the nozzle towards the hot side. Roxas was comfortably naked as he walked around, staring at the tile floor and walls. He saw the drain in the middle of the large shower room and as he walked past the empty stalls, he noticed the smaller drains.

He walked over to Axel’s stall. “So, all the water that comes out of that,” He pointed to the running shower head. “Goes into that?” Then he pointed to the drain.

Axel nodded, “That’s how it works.” Roxas hummed in thought as he watched Axel stand in the spray of the water. He leaned against the cold door, closing his eyes as he felt the steam drift past his face. Axel noticed. “Why don’t you come in?”

“We’re going to get wet in the ocean. There’s no point.” Roxas said.

“Ocean water is cold. C’mere, it’s relaxing.” Axel swung open the door and pulled Roxas in with him.

He pulled Roxas into the spray of hot water. Roxas flinched but he soon relaxed as the hot water seemed to relax his muscles. It was soothing. Roxas looked up behind him, noticing that Axel wasn’t underneath the warming spray. He turned around and grabbed Axel’s hand as he pulled him underneath it.

Now, Roxas wasn’t underneath the spray. He pouted for a bit before an idea came to mind. He hugged Axel, wrapping his arms around Axel’s chest as he pressed his body against Axel’s. Axel blushed. That was rare. He looked down at the top of Roxas’s head.

“Roxas?”

“This way we can both relax.” Roxas said with his eyes closed. He had his head resting against Axel’s torso and the hot, soothing water that fell on him made him smile in relaxation. Axel, however, was far from relaxing. He kept his arms to his side. If he let his arms rest on Roxas’s shoulder, he was sure his willpower would break.

“Isn’t it fun when they’re this naïve?” Riku asked, his back to the door. Axel grumbled. He could hear the sarcastic tone in Riku’s voice. “Let’s get going now; Cloud and Zexion are waiting at the island.” That was all Roxas needed to hear. He stepped back from Axel as he left the shower. Axel sighed in relief. And he could hear Riku chuckle.

“Shut the hell up.” Axel mumbled. “Roxas, remember to wrap up. There’s still a thing called modesty we humans have out there!” Axel called out.

Sure enough, Roxas was almost close to running out the shower bare naked. “I’ll catch up in a few.” Axel said to Riku. Riku nodded as Roxas had rushed back in and grabbed his discarded shorts from the floor. He slipped them on. Riku was already wearing shorts, as he waited for Roxas. Roxas stood up, fastening the button when he looked at his navel.

“What is it?” Riku asked. Roxas touched his navel, running a finger just underneath it. He looked back at the stall Axel was in then back to his navel.

“Something was poking me here.” He said. He gave it another second of his thoughts before he ran out.

Riku stared at the door, almost frozen before he began laughing wildly. In the stall, Axel had freezing water running down his body. He had his forehead pressed against the tile wall. He was embarrassed beyond words as to what he just heard Roxas say. Axel had no doubt in his mind that Riku would never _never_ let this drop.

\------

Sephiroth stood by the shore, the gentle waves washing over his feet. He watched Cloud walk around the shallow water. The morning sun had already secured its spot in the light blue sky. It was easy to see the shallow sandy ground through the crystal clear water. Cloud kneeled down in the water and he scooped up a starfish.

He smiled and gave it a gentle poke. He couldn’t hear its voice anymore but Cloud was happy just holding it in his hands. Sephiroth stared at his mermaid lover. It brought back memories seeing him with that soft cloth tied around his waist. Most were pleasant memories. He heard a soft splash and focused back on his surroundings. Cloud had placed the starfish back in the water and he was walking toward him.

“I was surprised you still had this,” Cloud said as he grabbed the hem of the cloth. He looked down and ran his finger along a lone but intricate design that had been etched along the edge. He remembered a long brown-haired mermaid making it for him when he entered his Grace Period long ago. He smiled at the fond memory. “This might be the last time I get to use this.”

“For the water, yes.” Sephiroth said. Cloud looked up at Sephiroth, a light blush spreading across his cheeks. He grumbled and walked past him. Sephiroth smirked as he turned and grabbed Cloud’s hand, pulling him back. Cloud ultimately smiled; he remembered how long it took him to understand all of Sephiroth’s teasing. He leaned against Sephiroth’s chest, feeling Sephiroth’s arm wrap possessively around him.

“I’ll be coming back,” Cloud said as he stared at the sea. “I don’t have much value to them. Sora does.”

Sephiroth remained quiet. He wasn’t worried about that. He was confident that Cloud would come back to him. What he didn’t like was that Cloud would deliberately be going to see Leon. If anything, he was jealous. He sighed and buried his nose against Cloud’s blond tousled hair.

“Do you think he remembers me?” Sephiroth asked.

“Squall? It would’ve been hard to forget about the human who kidnapped’ me.”

Sephiroth chuckled. “Desperate time called for desperate measures.”

They heard footsteps near them. Cloud turned his head and saw Zexion and Demyx standing a few feet away. Zexion didn’t look too pleased and Demyx was looking away, probably embarrassed.

“Stop that. I can feel my teeth rot from all this sugary love crap.” Zexion said. Demyx laughed but a cold stare from Sephiroth cut him short.

“You’re mad?” Cloud asked.

“No, I’m irritated and half asleep,” He said, shooting a glare at Demyx. He would’ve gotten a good night sleep if not for Demyx’s raging hormones. Demyx sheepishly grinned as he took a step back.

An irritated Zexion was dangerous.

Zexion sighed as he looked at the sea. “Just so you know it’s going to be your responsibility to help Sora adjust to human life.”

“It’s all on me?” Cloud asked.

“About a majority of it, yes,” Zexion said.

Demyx sat down on the sand, leaning his head against Zexion’s leg. He wasn’t as worried as Sephiroth was but he was just as anxious. He held Zexion’s hand as he continued to talk to Cloud. Demyx tuned in and out, mostly watching the waves softly crash against the beach. He absentmindedly ran his hand up and down Zexion’s calf.

He really wasn’t so worried. Zexion had no one expecting him back in the sea. Besides, from what he had been told, Sora was in the main Kingdom. Zexion wasn’t going to the Kingdom he was raised in. Still, that fact only quelled a small part of his worry. Demyx sighed as he ran his hand down and over Zexion’s ankle. He could only wait for him on the island to come back.

“What’re you doing?” Zexion asked as he looked down at Demyx. Demyx cleared his mind and looked at up at his lover, offering him a gentle smile.

“I’m molesting your leg.” He said. Zexion sighed as he rolled his eyes. Demyx chuckled and he leaned his head back on Zexion’s leg. Zexion shook his head as he kneeled beside Demyx. Demyx curiously looked at Zexion, staring into his aqua colored eye. A communication passed between them and Demyx smiled in defeat.

He could fool other people but Zexion saw right through his cheery façade. He leaned closer and gently pressed his lips against Zexion’s.

“Come back, okay?” He whispered, his lips moving against Zexion’s.

“Just who do you think I am?” Zexion whispered back.

Demyx smiled as he kissed his lover, “My one and only love.”

“You’re a complete sap.” Zexion said, frowning despite the fact that he was blushing.

“We’re here!” Axel yelled. He completely ruined their mood.

Axel grinned as he began teasing Demyx. Roxas ignored it as he looked behind him.

Riku hadn’t said a word during their way to the island. His eyes seemed to be miles away, his vision blocked by worrying thoughts. He was anxious to get Sora back. It was more than that too. Getting Sora back held a deeper meaning for him.

Roxas looked away and he noticed Sephiroth and Cloud further ahead. Axel had finally stopped his teasing and he began talking seriously to Zexion. They were going over their plans. Riku had walked closer to them, listening intently. Sephiroth and Cloud also walked to the others. Roxas listened in as well and waited.

When there was a pause, Roxas looked at Sephiroth who had finished explaining how to escape when Zexion would distract the soldiers.

“How did you escape?” Roxas asked, staring intently at the silver-haired human. The lone human who had managed to take Cloud away from his Kingdom with more than half the soldiers concentrated on him. A smirk appeared on his face, his eyes hardening ever so slightly. Roxas gulp as instinct told him to back away.

“I threatened to kill him.” Sephiroth calmly said.

\------

A lone dolphin swam past in the distant. Sora found it odd that it was traveling alone. He wanted to call out to the dolphin, to ask, but he wasn’t in much of a mood to sing.

He found himself once again in front of the palace entrance. It was puzzling to him because he had to swim out of his room to get back to the entrance when he clearly remembered falling asleep in the nearly empty hall. Someone had carried him back to his room.

Sora had no doubt it was probably Leon.

He sighed as he fell back on the ground. Several mermaids passed by, some whispering to themselves as they looked at Sora. Rumored whispers were spreading around. Of course, they were completely far-fetched and away from the truth but that didn’t stop them from spreading like wildfire. One particular rumor that seemed to be popular was that Sora had tried to run away to another Kingdom. Sora chuckled softly as he sat upright.

“Silly, silly rumors.” He mumbled softly as he absentmindedly swam through the spacious corridors. He sensed that his extra guards were following right behind. Sora quickly got used to them. Leon always swam behind him so it was easy to get used to the feeling but he still didn’t like it.

Sora stopped as he spotted Wakka swimming from garden. He wasn’t sure why but he wanted to go talk to him.

“Wakka!” Sora yelled. Wakka turned as Sora caught up to him.

“What’s wrong?” Wakka asked.

“I…don’t know,” Sora said with a sheepish grin. “Can I just swim with you?”

Wakka smile, “Sure. I was just about to make my rounds around the city.”

“But…Leon said I’m not allowed outside the palace.” Sora mumbled, dishearten. He really did want to go out; at least there were no walls in the open ocean. Wakka looked at Sora’s guard and beckoned them forward. They swam towards Wakka, lining up before him.

“I’m taking Sora out with me on patrol.” Wakka said.

“We were told to stay by him at all times, Sir.” One of the guards said.

Wakka offhandedly waved that away. “Don’t worry, he’ll be with me, ya. It isn’t healthy to be watched so closely. Leon won’t mind.” Actually, he would but they didn’t need to know that.

The guards nodded and bowed before they left. Sora actually smiled as Wakka motioned him to follow. He was actually going to get to swim outside of the palace walls. He grinned and grabbed Wakka’s hand.

“Promise me you won’t swim away.” Wakka said.

Sora vigorously nodded. He wasn’t going to ruin this chance with a selfish thought. He still needed to behave for Roxas and whatever plot he was scheming.

He was visibly excited, tugging on Wakka’s hand to hurry up. The threads of magic even seemed to pulse brightly along with Sora’s sudden happiness. Wakka swam just a bit faster for his sake. Sora’s smile was rather infectious.

With a smile full of sunshine, Sora exited the palace with Wakka. The walls that had been imposing were gone and all around him was just the open sea. He looked around him, to the dark and obscure vastness of the sea around him to the twinkling sparkle of the city before them in the ravine.

“Thank you, Wakka. I mean it. Thanks.” Sora said as he looked around him.

Wakka smiled as he began swimming towards the city. Sora swam after Wakka and grabbed his hand again. It was a reminder to himself not to let go. Sora remained quiet as Wakka swam through the city.

Lots of mermaids greeted Wakka, talking for just a bit before Wakka returned to patrolling. The old mermen would greet Wakka too, picking up on a conversation that Sora was sure they were continuing from a previous day.

Of course, they also greeted Sora with polite smiles. Sora smiled back, returning the pleasantries, but they were wary. Anyone would be if they saw those threads of magic encircling him. Sora looked at his threads; he had grown rather fond of them. They were harmless enough. He just had to stay calm.

“Why are you always in front of the entrance?” Wakka asked. They swam several yards above the city, Wakka now doing a wide area scan after making sure nothing was wrong within the city. Sora looked down at the city. An above view of the city reminded Sora of a brightly colored coral reef.

“The walls were beginning to feel like they were closing in on me. I feel comfortable there,” Sora said.

He even tried sleeping in the cave with Kairi and Namine again when Leon released the barrier but it felt odd. He didn’t feel comfortable. Being near the entrance of the palace made him feel closer to Riku even though there were miles and miles of water that separated them.

“Wakka, do you hate humans?”

Wakka shook his head, “I don’t have any reason to.”

“So…Leon has his reasons?” Sora asked.

“Leon…has his reasons.” Wakka said after a few silent seconds. “Though, he really needs to let the past stay there.” Sora gave Wakka a confused looked.

Past? Did Leon’s hatred to humans happen in the past?

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing to be concerned about. Let’s go back.” Wakka said as he avoided the question. It wasn’t his secret to tell.

Sora begrudgingly nodded. Wakka wasn’t the type to tell another person’s secret even when he let something slip by. He sighed and let Wakka lead him back to the palace. At least Sora was able to stretch his tail out. That’s what really mattered. He smiled as they same towards the palace.

Near the entrance, Sora let go of Wakka’s hand as he swam ahead of him. Leon was waiting for them.

“Wakka.”

“Be more lenient towards him, Leon,” Wakka said as a guilty look covered Sora’s face. “He’s not a prisoner.”

“I understand.” Leon said. “Sora, come with me.” He turned back and stared swimming away. Sora looked at Wakka and smiled at him before he swam after Leon. He felt relaxed after that swim and not even the fact that he was swimming along with Leon bothered him too much. It almost felt like the times before he met Riku when it was just him and Leon.

“Y’know, you should be thankful to Wakka.” Sora said.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve forgiven you, though, only partially,” Sora said as he faced Leon. “I’m still mad with you about how you took me away but if you keep your promise then I guess its fine.” Sora smiled as he swam on ahead. Leon looked at Sora’s back and ignored the small pang of guilt.

“I’ll be sure to thank him later,” said Leon. “Let’s go over what you have to do for your Grace Period.”

\------

Sora had paid close attention to Leon as he explained.

Normally, a merman or mermaid would have waited until their magic had reached its peak or the amount they could manage. Then they’ll release that magic inwards on themselves. They’ll be perfectly fine since normal Merfolk wouldn’t have to worry about the danger of overexerting too much magic within their bodies.

Sora was another case since being the Pincoy meant his magic continuously stored up and grew. Wakka would be nearby in case things went wrong. Leon also mentioned that it might be even more difficult with the strands of magic that encircled Sora. Sora sighed as he swam through the hallways alone.

Leon let the extra guards go so Sora was back to being peacefully alone. Though he still wasn’t allowed outside the palace.

“Maybe I should sing to make things easier.” Sora wondered loudly.

He swam upwards towards the arches and swam through one, sitting down in the hollow space. Sora swung his fin back and forth as he looked down below him. There was commotion going on. Several soldiers were swimming through the hallways in a rush. He noticed several commanders which was rare since they weren’t usually called into the palace unless of an attack.

Sora’s eyes widened. Was the palace under attack again?

“Quickly!” A commander barked. “We have to stop them from getting closer.” There was a chorus of ‘Yes, sir’ as they hurriedly swam along.

“Whatever you do, under Guardian Leon’s order, do not tell the Pincoy that it’s Guardian Roxas who’s attacking or that he brought along a group of humans!”


	20. Chapter 20

“Do not tell the Pincoy that Guardian Roxas is attacking the Palace with a group of humans!” A chorus of ‘yes, sir’ rang out and they dispersed. Sora looked down at them with disbelief.

He wasn’t sure if he actually heard them right.

Why would Roxas attack the palace?

Was he crazy?

From below, Sora could hear shouts of commands to find him. He quickly pulled up his tail and shuffled back into the arch until his body was hidden. He didn’t want to be found…not yet when his thoughts suddenly became hectic. The noise from below wasn’t helping at all. Sora sighed. His head was beginning to painfully pulse.

“Where is he?”

Sora’s ears perked. It was Leon. He held perfectly still. Even though his thoughts were scattered about, Sora knew he shouldn’t let Leon find him. He couldn’t if he wanted to find out what was going on.

“We don’t know. We’re looking for him right now.” replied the commander. Sora could hear Leon groan.

“I was too early in letting them go.” said Leon. “Either way, how did they get this close in the first place?”

“It’s him.” It was Cid’s voice. Sora itched to lay on his belly and inch closer to the edge so he could see but it would be risky. He opted to stay in the same position. At least he could hear their voices clearly.

“Him? By him do you mean…”

“No, it’s not the human,” said Cid as he looked at Leon’s expression. Something close to hate flashed through his blue eyes. “But, Cloud is with them.”

“Cloud?” said Leon, surprised. Sora listened well. Cloud? Who was Cloud?

Sora softly groaned as he really fought the urge to take a peek. By the way Leon sounded; Sora knew he must know this Cloud. He didn’t recognize the name and it couldn’t have been a human because there was no way Leon would ever associate himself with a human. That’s just the way he was. Then…was Cloud a merman?

“It’s not just Cloud. Zexion tagged along too.”

“This is not happening again.” mumbled Leon. He gripped the hilt of his blade. Everything he had tried to prevent was happening. He leaned back against the wall as he stared at the ground. Things wouldn’t have gone so complicated if only Sora never met that human. Just like things would’ve have been fine between Cloud and him if only Cloud never met _that human_.

“It’s happening alright and this time we got two humans instead of one.” said Cid. He barked out orders to a group of soldiers that were waiting for a command. Another group swam past and began reporting to Cid. After getting more details, Cid turned towards Leon. “Somehow, they’ve managed to get their hands on a few necklaces. The red-head that I fought is there as well as Sora’s human lov-“

“Don’t say it!” yelled Leon abruptly.

Sora wanted to lean over so badly. Leon sounded like he was in pain. He nervously flicked his tail against the wall as he debated what to do. Cid was about to say lover. He just knew it. He wanted to escape so he could find Roxas and see if Riku was really with them. But, if he swam out now they would definitely notice him. He sighed as he racked his mind for any reasonable means of escape.

“I guess we should drive them off.” Leon said as he pushed himself off the wall. He stared at the arched ceiling and noticed slim threads of magic circle through one of the arches. Cid looked up as well, noticing that Leon wasn’t moving.

He smirked and they silently swam towards Sora. Sora heard nothing but the faint yells of soldiers. From where he could tell, they were at the entrance. Sora shuffled closer to the edge and finally leaned over. Curiosity got the best of him.

And it was a good thing too as he saw Leon and Cid swimming towards him.

“No!” screamed Sora as he shot out the arch. He swam past them in a blind hurry. He couldn’t be caught. He just couldn’t. If Roxas was really back, he had to see. He needed to see if Riku was really with him. Running away from Leon probably wasn’t labeled as behaving but if Roxas was at the palace again he could let loose.

“Cid! Go around and block him off!” shouted Leon. Cid nodded as he swam towards a different corridor. “Sora, stop swimming!”

Sora shook his head as he weaved through pillars and dodged soldiers. “You’re going to stop me!”

“You’re swimming towards a battlefield! You’ll get hurt!” shouted back Leon.

Sora pumped his tail faster as he made a sharp turn, “If Roxas is here, he’ll protect me!” Leon followed right behind him, slowly but surely closing the gap between them.

“Don’t be an idiot, Sora!”

“You’re the idiot!!” yelled Sora. He turned the corner again and gasped in surprise. Cid was there, blocking his path. Sora tried to halt but he was going too fast. Sora attempted to maneuver himself around him but Cid had deadly accurate aim and he grabbed Sora’s wrist.

Sora struggled against Cid’s tight hold but he wouldn’t let go. Cid grabbed Sora’s other arm and pulled him against his chest. Sora struggled. He couldn’t be stopped yet. He had to see if Riku was really in the Palace. He had to know.

“We should take him back to his room. I’ll have Wakka set up the barrier again.” said Leon. Sora shook his head as he clawed at Cid’s arms. He wasn’t strong enough to pull Cid’s arm off and thrashing his tail about was just getting Sora tired.

“Leon, please,” Sora said desperately as he looked at his Guardian. “I have to see him. I have to see Riku.”

“He’s a human, Sora, and a dangerous one.”

“No! He’s not! He’s kind and he wants to see me and I want to see him!” pleaded Sora.

“Why?” asked Leon. He didn’t understand why Cloud would choose a human then and Leon couldn’t understand why Sora would choose a human now. “Tell me why you would choose a human over your own kind.” __

Sora went still and he looked at his fin. He closed his eyes and remembered all the happy memories he had with Riku. They were all good memories. Their first conversation, the time they slept together in the wooden shack, spending time with Riku’s friend, sleeping in the same bed with Riku, the food, their shared laughs and smiles, Riku’s teasing, and that time on the beach, away from Axel and Roxas, just Riku and him.

They became precious memories and Sora wanted to create more, much more like them. He opened his eyes and looked straight at Leon. His affection, his love, his desire to be with Riku shone clearly in Sora’s bright blue eyes.

“I love him.” said Sora, finally voicing his affection for Riku to some other than Namine or Kairi. He stared at him, his eyes never wavering. Leon was the one to look away. He wouldn’t take that as an answer. It wasn’t an answer in his ears.

“You should go to your room.” said Leon. He didn’t look at Sora. Cid nodded and he began to swim away from Leon. Panic started to set in.

“No, Leon! Please! I want to see him.” Sora began struggling again, harder this time.

He had to go see Riku. He just had too. Leon wasn’t being fair. The threads of magic began to pulse and even though they came in constant contact with Cid, he wasn’t hurt. But now, Sora wanted to get away from Cid and he wasn’t physically strong to escape himself. The threads began attaching themselves to Cid’s body, across his chest and arms as they started to shock him. He grunted in pain as he kept his hold on Sora but the pain kept getting worse and Sora’s struggling wasn’t helping.

“Let. Me. _Go_!” shouted Sora as a particularly hard shock surged through Cid’s body. He finally released Sora and the threads came loose. Sora immediately began swimming and in no time he shot past Leon.

Surprised, he looked behind him. Cid swam up to Leon, grunting in pain. There were thin scar-like stings all over his chest and arms as if he’d been stung by multiple Box Jellyfish.

“What the hell happened?” asked Leon.

“The brat got stronger.” Cid said though he didn’t look displeased. Leon sighed as he swam after Sora again.

Sora was way ahead of them. He used everything he had to swim faster than he’s ever had to. He had to get to Riku. He wanted to confirm things with his own eyes. He weaved around soldiers, past pillars and through arches as he neared the entrance.

The sound of fighting was louder there. He could also hear Leon shouting at him to stop from behind him but he didn’t. He really would be an idiot if he tried to persuade Leon how much he loved Riku again. They would just drag him back. As he neared the entrance, a commander noticed him.

“Pincoy! Stay back! They’re dangerous!”

Sora ignored him as he shot past him. He looked behind him and noticed Leon and Cid way behind him. He didn’t see the pillar outside the entrance in his path and crashed into it.

There was a loud sickening crack that resonated through the water. Sora cried out in pain and crumpled down against the pillar, collapsing lifelessly on the ground. The pain blinded him, starting from his shoulder to his spine. He could hear the soldiers rush towards him. They probably heard the loud crack from the impact.

Sora groaned and lifted himself up. He gripped his right arm to his side. He couldn’t tell but he knew he had dislocated his shoulder. Sora swallowed down the pain as he turned around. He could see they were coming after him.

“Get away!” yelled Sora. The threads of magic pulsated and expanded around him. The soldiers backed off, wary of the jellyfish-like tentacles that expanded from Sora. Leon pushed past the soldiers as he noticed Sora slumped against the pillar.

“What the hell happened?” asked Leon, looking around.

“He was distracted and collided into the pillar.” One of the soldiers replied. Leon growled and swam towards Sora. A thread whipped past him, almost coming in contact with his skin.

“Stay away, Leon! I don’t…want you near me.” said Sora softly. He needed to get further away. He wanted to find Riku.

“Sora!!”

Sora’s head jerked up. He knew that voice.

Sora looked behind him and he saw something he didn’t quite believe.

Riku.

It was Riku. He was under the water, breathing and with the most beautiful tail Sora had ever seen. Sora could see the others behind him but he was focused solely on Riku. A smile appeared on his face and a tear rolled down his cheek. Sora gripped his right arm. He looked away, gritted his teeth and popped his shoulder back in place. Sora suppressed an agonized yell as he quickly focused his magic on his right shoulder to finish up the rest.

“Sora…don’t go…” said Leon, swimming just a little bit closer.

Sora ignored him as he lifted himself up. He rushed towards him, ignoring the protest from Leon. What mattered was Riku. He was there, actually there.

He reached his arms out as Riku extended his right hand out for Sora. Sora grabbed his hands, colliding into Riku. Riku smiled as he hugged Sora as Sora tightly held on to him. He whispered Riku’s name over and over again, still not quite believing that Riku was actually there in front of him. He tilted his head up, staring into brighter than bright blue eyes that reminded Sora of the Neon Tetra.

“I knew you would be crying and smiling…though,” Riku ran his thumb underneath Sora’s eyes. “I can’t see your tears.” Sora smiled as he grabbed Riku’s hand and pressed it against the side of his face. Even underwater, Riku’s hands were still so warm.

“Riku…you’re really here.” whispered Sora as he nuzzled his head against Riku’s neck. Roxas swam over to the pair and tapped Sora’s shoulder.

“Sora, we still have to get away.” said Roxas. Sora nodded as he quickly rubbed his eyes. He looked around and noticed Axel behind them. Sora smiled as he saw his brightly colored tail. He swam over to Axel as he touched Axel’s tail.

“How do you like it?” asked Sora. Axel grinned as he flicked his fin back and forth.

“It’s awesome.”

Roxas looked back at the entrance. Leon was staring at them and it looked like he wanted to attack but he didn’t move. As a matter of fact, they’ve stopped sending soldiers to slow them down. He looked over at Zexion. “Is it because of Sora that he’s not making a move?”

Zexion nodded, “I’m sensing more too. They’re being cautious.” Roxas looked back at Sora and carefully eyed the threads of magic that encircled him. They seemed harmless enough.

“He has more of those things coming out of him.” said Roxas.

“They’re not going to do anything for awhile so quickly inform Sora about the situation.” said Zexion. Roxas nodded as he swam back over to Sora. As Roxas left, Cloud swam up beside Zexion. Leon stared at them, his eyes mainly on Cloud.

Leon gritted his teeth and turned away. He swam back to the entrance.

“What will we do now?”

Leon stared at the soldier, “Keep an eye on them but don’t engage.” The soldier nodded and relayed the message to the others. Leon pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. It was like he’d been thrust back in time. Cid drifted over to Leon as Wakka swam towards them.

“Where are the girls?” asked Leon.

“No worries.” said Wakka. “They’re in their room with extra guards and as an extra measure I placed a barrier to their cave though Kairi’s not too happy.” He added as he scratched his head.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure she would’ve complicated things.”

“What do we do now?” asked Wakka as he stared behind Leon. He could see Sora in the distant within a group. He recognized Roxas but the rest were strangers to him. Even from this distant, Wakka could tell Sora was happier than he ever been since his return by just the way he stayed near a particular merman. If Wakka had to guess, it must’ve been the human Sora fell for.

“We’re going to surround them,” said Leon. “Wakka, you’ll take a group with you and mask their presence. If we can get at least five of our soldiers behind them, we’ll have a slight advantage.”

“Don’t forget Zexion,” said Cid. He gripped his spear and tossed it between his hands. “As long as I get to fight that red head again, you do what you have to.”

“Who’s Zexion?” asked Wakka as he looked at Leon.

“The Guardian to the Pincoy…well, to the former Pincoy of the East Kingdom, Cloud. Zexion was the best magic wielder in the Kingdom.” Cid smirked as he looked at Wakka. “Consider him competition. It could be a good way to see who’s mastered the skill to control magic.” Wakka grunted a response as he looked back to the group far beyond the entrance. He could already sense it, even from the distant they were at.

“We’ll distract them,” continued Leon. “When you’re in position, use the surprise to separate them. As long as that human and the others are near Sora, it’ll be difficult to get Sora back but separated we can pick at them until they fall.”

“How vicious.” commented Cid. He pushed himself off the wall as he swam over to the soldiers and began barking out orders. Leon looked at Wakka. Wakka nodded and he began choosing his soldiers.

Leon swam away from the entrance as he followed his familiar route to his room. At his room, he grabbed his blade with only one thought in his head.

Meanwhile, Roxas had filled Sora in on just about everything that he needed to know. Honestly, Roxas wasn’t surprised they had kept Sora in the dark about Cloud. Sora looked at Cloud, recognizing him as the human he’d seen before. He never would’ve imagined that he was a merman, much less the former Pincoy of the East Kingdom. He held hands with Riku, not once letting go since they’ve reunited.

“I think I understand why Leon hates humans.” said Sora after hearing a quick run through of Cloud’s story.

“It’s more than that,” said Cloud. “But, essentially, that would be true. We have to be on our guard. He won’t hold back.”

“It’s fine. We’ll take them on.” said Axel. Roxas rolled his eyes but smiled. He swam towards Sora and pulled him away from Riku.

“What’s wrong?” asked Sora.

“We really do have to be on guard,” said Roxas to his friend. “Leon will do everything to get the two of you apart.” Sora looked towards the palace entrance. He could see Leon standing by, staring them down.

“It must’ve been painful for him,” whispered Sora. Roxas chuckled softly as he flicked Sora’s forehead. Sora frowned and rubbed his forehead as he looked at Roxas.

“Worry about yourself right now,” said Roxas. “This is a problem between Cloud and him. We’re just caught up in it.” Sora nodded. Riku swam over towards them to Sora’s side. Sora smiled as he reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Someone’s coming.” Riku said. Sora looked over at the entrance. There weren’t many soldiers at the entrance. It was Cid and Leon who has heading their way. Axel swam towards them as he handed Riku his blade. He unhooked his chakrams from the weapons belt Zexion lent him.

Riku swam back as Axel and Roxas covered them. Roxas stayed neared Sora. Cloud took the lead. Leon stopped about thirty feet in front of them.

“We’ll tell you this once, let Sora go.” said Leon. Sora opened his mouth to respond when a tug from Riku stopped him. Sora looked at him but he shook his head and pointed at Cloud. Cloud swam a couple feet forward, making sure Leon would look at him.

“Squall…”

“My name is Leon.” A sad smiled appeared on Cloud’s lips as he slowly nodded.

“Leon...you shouldn’t drag them into your past.”

“This has nothing to do with you.” said Leon.

“It does,” said Cloud. “You’re going to make Sora miserable.”

“Sora doesn’t belong to the human.”

“And he doesn’t belong to you either!” Cloud quickly responded.

The tension surrounding them thickened. Leon’s body hardened, his eyes growing dark with conflict of the past. Cloud knew he dealt an unfair blow to him. But it was necessary. When Leon took him away from Sephiroth, it was like he tried to make Cloud see where he truly belonged. Those two weeks were miserable.

The responsibility that he easily carried as being the Pincoy became unbearable. He didn’t want that sort of misery to befall Sora; a kinship between fellow Pincoys because if anyone would fully understand Sora, it would be him. Sora gripped Riku’s hand and swam forward, past Roxas.

“Leon, I want to be with Riku.” He said as he looked at Leon. Leon saw that same unwavering look in Sora’s eyes and for a moment, he saw a shadow of Cloud overlap him. They shared the same determined, stubborn look. He closed his eyes and opened them again; the shadow of Cloud was gone but Sora was still there.

“Sora, you’re still young.”

“That doesn’t mean anything! I…I know I’m young but that doesn’t always mean I’m naïve.” Sora gripped Riku’s hand harder. He took a calming breath as he strengthened his resolve. Leon had to learn sooner or later. “Leon…I don’t think I can be the Pincoy anymore.”

Leon’s eyes widened. Once again, he saw a shadow of Cloud overlap Sora. The shadow Cloud uttered those very words Sora said. Beside him, he could see the outline of the human who stood beside him. Much longer silver haired floated behind him and he could remember those cold green eyes.

He shook his head and the shadows of the past were gone. He’ll be damned if he let that human take Sora away.

“Wakka!”

“Shit,” Zexion turned around as a group of more than six soldiers appeared behind them.

He hadn’t sensed them and it must’ve been the merman with orange hair. “Riku!” shouted Zexion.

Riku nodded as the soldiers charged towards them. Riku hauled Sora away as they were suddenly separated from the others. Cid rushed forward in the confusion and struck Axel. Axel blocked the blow and was pushed back by the force. He grunted then grinned as he rushed towards Cid.

Zexion was locked in a battle with Wakka. He dodged Wakka’s magical attacks as he countered with his own. Sora looked around and noticed Roxas floating by Cloud as he fended off oncoming soldiers. Sora began to panic but a tug from Riku calmed him down just a bit. It was part of their plan.

“Hurry.” said Riku.  Sora nodded and they began swimming away as a group of three soldiers began chasing them. Sora took the lead; he was the fastest. He could sense that they were getting away from the soldiers. No matter how much they trained, they were no match for Sora’s speed.

A hopeful thought flitted through his mind before he felt a more familiar presence chasing after them. He took a look, a quick one, and panic gripped his heart. Leon was right at their fin, his arm raised ready to strike Riku down with his blade. Riku hadn’t sensed him and he looked to see what Sora was staring at.

The panic in Sora’s heart compelled him to jerk Riku towards him as Leon attacked.

Time slowed down.

He pulled Riku away, using the momentum of the sudden change so he could place himself in front of Riku. A look of horror colored Riku’s features as he realized what Sora had done. Leon realized it as well but it was too late.

He could only pull back his raised arm to half the force he put into the blade. Time had mercilessly progressed again. The blade struck flesh and blood seeped into the water.

“SORA!!”

\------

As soon as Leon chased after Sora and Riku, the soldiers backed off.

Roxas found it odd that they backed off but he wasn’t about to chase after them for a fight. Axel was still fighting Cid and Wakka with Zexion. Roxas kept himself near Cloud even though he wanted to go off and chase after Leon.

He knew it was effortless because the only one who could ever catch up to Sora was Leon. He watched Axel’s fight while keeping an eye of the soldiers around him. Axel was good but not good enough. Cid was over-powering him but Axel wasn’t giving up. Further ahead, it seemed like Wakka was having trouble against Zexion.

 Roxas surveyed the area around him. If worse came to worse, he could always step in and help Axel out. While Roxas surveyed, Cloud stared toward the direction Leon, Riku, and Sora swam off. He couldn’t see but he could sense them very faintly. He was more in tune with Sora rather than Leon; perhaps because they were both Pincoys.

“Sora…”

Roxas looked over at Cloud then towards the direction they were looking at. He saw something ahead. He felt a sense of dread chill over his body as he heard Riku’s voice.

“Let go of me, bastards! Sora! Don’t die, Sora! _Sora_!”

Riku struggled against the two soldiers that were holding him captive. He growled and threw his whole being into struggling against them. Roxas’s eyes widened as he saw Leon carrying Sora’s body in his arms.

It took him a moment to see the trail of blood flowing from Sora’s body. He panicked and worry overcame him as he rushed towards Sora. Before he could reach him, the soldiers swarmed them again.

They captured Cloud easily but it took three of them to subdue Roxas. Axel, distracted by Roxas’s screaming, was quickly disarmed by Cid. Soldiers rushed towards him and captured Axel as Cid took his chakrams. Zexion looked around at the situation. He knew when he was out numbered. He lowered his arms and let them capture him.

“You’re giving up?” asked Wakka as he swam over to a captured Zexion.

“Temporarily,” Zexion said calmly. “I have someone waiting for me on the surface and I’m sure that idiot won’t leave until I come back.” Wakka moved back as he watched the soldiers began hauling him away. Riku struggled harder than before, giving trouble to the three soldiers who were holding him back.

“Bastard! Let me go! I have to…Sora!” screamed Riku.

“Take them to the prison cells.” said Leon  as he ignored Riku and rushed off with Sora.

\------

“Where the hell is Sora!?” yelled Roxas.

He pounded his fist against the prison bars, not caring for the pain that jolted through his arms. If he closed his eyes, he could see Sora in Leon’s arms. He couldn’t get the image out of his head.

Sora’s skin had gone pale and he could see the large bleeding gash across Sora’s torso. What the hell had happened between Leon and Riku for Sora to be injured like that? He groaned, opening his eyes as he continued shouting.

It pissed him off that they were ignoring him. He sighed and gave up as he turned and slumped against the bars. Then he growled as he swiftly turned back around and slammed his tail against the stone bars. Of course, that did nothing but leave a large bruise on his tail but he had to vent.

Riku would have joined but he was chained up. When they locked them in, it took two guards to hold Riku still while another one cuffed his hands together. For an extra measure, they had chained a thin metal hoop around Riku’s waist that was connected to a short chain on the wall.

Riku struggled against his metal bonds until they started biting into his flesh. Then he opted to scream curses at the guards. Zexion and Cloud were both silent, sitting on the bench with their thoughts. Roxas sighed and picked himself up as he swam towards Axel.

“I’m going to kill you all if you don’t let me go! Assholes!!” yelled Riku. Per usual, he was ignored, which only made Riku struggle against his bonds even more for a few minutes before he settled back down.

“Dammit.”

“I think I prefer human jail.” commented Axel as he glanced over at Riku.

“Shut it.” mumbled Riku as he stared at his bound wrists. The metal was biting into his skin, rubbing it raw and bloody. He sighed and looked down at his waist. At least the metal ring wasn’t digging into his skin. There was room but not enough to be able to slip out of.

He shuffled backwards until he felt the cold stone wall. He suppressed a shiver and slide down until he was sitting on the ground. The metal ring slid up his torso until it rested somewhat awkwardly against his chest. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of crushing hopelessness at being unable to get Sora back.

Riku clenched his teeth as he remembered the blood. There was no way he could possibly lets things stay the way they were.

“What are they going to do now?” Axel asked. Looking at Riku was making him depressed.

“We have no choice but to wait,” said Roxas forcibly. He didn’t like how those words sounded but it was true.

The bars were magically reinforced. The only thing that could possible break them was a hump back whale swimming at full speed and the chances of that were infinitely smaller than one. He looked at Axel and leaned back against Axel’s chest. Axel was mildly surprised but he smiled and locked his arms around Roxas’s waist. Roxas lifted his tail up as he examined his scales. Luckily, there wasn’t a cut but the bruise was definitely going to hurt later. He lowered his tail and held on to Axel’s arms. “We’re not leaving until we get Sora back.”

“And how do you think we’ll do that?” asked Zexion. Being locked up left him in an irritable mood. Roxas opened his mouth then closed it again. He had nothing. As long as they were stuck inside their cell, Sora might as well be beyond their reach.

“I want to hit something again.” muttered Roxas. Axel shook his head as he held Roxas tighter against his chest.

“Hope is not lost.”

“What makes you say that?” Roxas asked.

“Well, those girls over there have been looking at us.” said Axel as he pointed towards the bars. Roxas looked towards the bars and those ‘girls’ were Naminé and Kairi.

\------

“What in the hell happened?” asked Cid.

Sora was lying down in the middle of his garden, utterly still. Various fishes were swimming above him as well as the turtle and octopus that always stayed neared Sora. Leon had meant to take Sora to his own room but the threads of magic had begun to burn into his flesh and the pain had got to him.

As he had carried him, the blood seeping out of the large gash across Sora’s chest had gradually slowed down but he was still breathing haphazardly. Even now, he could see a few thread of magic weave around the wound and through Sora’s body. Leon sighed as he leaned against a nearby boulder.

“Sora placed himself in front of my blade to protect the human.” Leon said. Cid gave an appreciative whistle as he stared at Sora’s body.

“That was pretty gutsy of him,” said Cid. He tried to swim closer to Sora’s body but the threads lashed out violently. “It looks like we won’t be able to get close to him until the tyke wakes up.”

“That’s going to leave a scar.” commented Leon. Cid looked at the wound.

Leon closed his eyes and remembered the way his blade easily slashed through Sora’s chest. He was sure he would never forget Sora’s pained expression or the scream itself. Leon shook his head and cleared his mind of that image.

“What are you going to do?” asked Cid.

“I’m staying here. When his wound heals up and he wakes up, Wakka’s going to bring him into his Grace Period.”

“And the others?”

“Leave them. We’ll let them go after Wakka’s done with Sora.” Cid nodded and he left the garden. He had a palace to calm and a King to report to. Leon sighed as he slid down against the boulder.

Anger and guilt coursed through his body like a powerful wave. It was much worse than before. He was purposely intending to hurt Sora by keeping him away from Riku just to keep Sora by his side.

“When did this get complicated?”

\------

Kairi banged her tail against the barrier in utter frustration.

Wakka had placed the barrier to their only exit and entrance of their room. They didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. All the girls heard were shouts and soldiers barking orders. Naminé sat at the edge of their bed, watching Kairi pace back and forth.

“This doesn’t feel right. Not right at all.” Kairi said.

“If this was another attack, they wouldn’t keep us here. I think, maybe, they don’t want us to see whatever is happening out there.” said Naminé. She calmly swiped her fin against the ground, kicking up a small cloud of sand. She heard Kairi thrash her tail against the barrier again and sighed. “Get over here, Kairi. That won’t help.”

“But what else should I do?” asked Kairi. She swam over to Naminé and sat beside her. “I can’t sit here as calmly as you.”

“Calm?” She chuckled softly. “I’m not as calm as you think I am.”

Kairi smiled as she leaned her head on Naminé’s shoulder, “You sure are handling it well then. I probably shouldn’t have skipped Cid’s lessons.”

“Even if you had, I can’t see you sitting calmly.” said Naminé. Kairi grinned as she lifted her head and swam back to the entrance. She pressed her hands against the barrier. She knew something bad was happening and Kairi was sure Naminé could feel it too.

But they could only wait.

Naminé stayed silent, sitting on the bed while Kairi paced back and forth. She didn’t bang her tail against the barrier anymore but she was tempted to. They paid attention to any particular sounds that could give anything away. For awhile, they heard nothing even remotely important. Kairi grumbled as she swam away from the entrance. There was nobody but a soldier passing through. Naminé quickly swam towards the exit.

“Excuse me but can you tell us what’s going on?” asked Naminé. The soldier halted and bowed to her.

“I’m sorry, Sirena, but we are under order not to tell you.” he replied. Kairi swam next to her, looking at the soldier. She could tell he was a fairly new soldier. It was obvious that he hadn’t personally met Naminé before.

“It’s about Sora, isn’t it” she said. A worried looked crossed her features and the soldier faltered. Kairi quickly smirked as she swam away. Naminé was up to something.

“Eh, well, I guess…I mean…yeah, it’s about the Pincoy.”

“Could you tell me, please?” she asked with pleading eyes. “The Pincoya and I are concerned about his well being. We grew up together and we’re not used to knowing nothing concerning him.” The soldier hesitated as he looked at Naminé. He wasn’t supposed to tell them by Leon’s order. He looked away then back at Naminé with her concerned eyes.

He didn’t stand a chance.

“Guardian Roxas and a group of humans attacked the Palace. There seems to be two other mermen from another Kingdom and the two humans with them somehow obtained necklaces. They’ve turned to mermen too.” Kairi swam back to the entrance. Roxas had attacked the palace? That surprised her.

“And Sora? How those he fit into this?”

“We’re not sure. When the Pincoy heard of the attack, he rushed towards them without hesitation as if he knew them. We think he’s somehow connected to one of the humans but that’s a rumor.” Naminé nodded as she listened to him.

“What do they look like?” asked Naminé.

“One of the humans has fiery red hair and the other one, he’s not as lanky as the red head but he looks as strong and has silver hair. Sirena…I have to get going before…”

Naminé quickly nodded, “I understand. Thank you for telling me.” She aimed a grateful smile at him. The soldier blushed, bowed to her then left in a hurry. Kairi slyly nudged her elbow into Naminé’s side.

“I knew you were up to something.” said Kairi, grinning.

“You thrash barriers; I get information.” Naminé said as she swam back to their bed and sat. “Well, at least we know Riku made his way here. Sora must’ve been incredibly surprised though, I wonder who that other human is.”

Kairi sat down beside her. “I bet you that Sora was crying and laughing when he meet him again.”

“I’m sure he was.” Naminé said. “We have to do something.”

“We can’t do much with that thing in our way,” she said as she pointed at the barrier. Naminé nodded in agreement. She swam over to the entrance and began examining the barrier when a sudden chill shot through her spine. She pressed her hands against the barrier and looked around. Something bad happened. She felt Kairi swim up to her and at once Naminé realized something had happened to Sora.

“Please tell me we’re just cold,” said Kairi. Naminé worried her bottom lip as she looked away.

Kairi growled and started to pound her fists against the barrier. “We demand to know what is going on!” Kairi yelled at the top of her lungs.

No one answered her. They could hear a buzz of commotion as they heard soldiers move about. Kairi and Naminé could only wait and listen for any tiny hint as to what was going on. Then they heard his voice. It was an anguished cry that resonated throughout the entire palace and sent another shiver through their bodies.

“Sora! Don’t die, Sora! _Sora!!_ ”

Something did happen to Sora.

Feeling completely enraged, Kairi swam away from the barrier to the back of room. Naminé swam after her and held her back as Kairi was about to charge towards the barrier.

“Why are you trying to stop me, Naminé?!” shouted Kairi. “Didn’t you hear that? Sora’s in trouble!”

“And you won’t be helping him if you try to hurt yourself by ramming your body against the barrier!” Naminé sternly replied.

Kairi settled down a bit, though she couldn’t hold back her frustration. At the least, she’d given up on breaking her bones against the barrier. Kairi grumbled and threw herself on the bed. She gripped the sheets in her clenched hands as she tried to control her anger. Naminé looked around, trying to figure out a way to escape their confinement.

She swam back over to the barrier and began running her hands along it. Wakka was in a hurry when he placed the barrier up. There was the slim chance that maybe there was a weak point somewhere on it.

“Naminé, what are you doing?” asked Kairi. Naminé didn’t answer as she continued to search. She ran her hands along the edge near the bottom, sensing the barrier with her own magic until she came upon a small but definitely weakened point.

“Kairi! Grab something sharp; like a stick or sharpened stone or something!” Kairi quickly searched for something. She scrambled out of bed as she spotted a broken piece of a spear. Kairi grabbed it and swam over to Naminé. Naminé grabbed the piece and pushed it through the weakened spot. She grinned as it went through. There was hope.

“Naminé?”

“I can’t disperse the entire thing but I can create an opening big enough for you by pushing my magic against Wakka’s.”

“And the stick?”

“A focal point,” said Naminé as she concentrated. “Why do we have a broken spear in here anyways?”

Kairi chuckled as she sat down on the ground. “Remember the time Sora wanted to learn how to fight with a spear. He ended up nearly spearing Leon if Leon hadn’t blocked the attack.” Naminé smiled, remembering the incident well.

She cleared her head and continued on concentrating. She had finally been able to create a hole in the barrier. It was tiny but it was something.

“It’s going to take a while but you’ll get out first.” Naminé explained. She told her what to do. Kairi listened and she waited as Naminé kept forcing back Wakka’s barrier. It did take a while, more time than Kairi thought, but when she saw that Naminé made the hole big enough to swim through, Kairi did so.

As soon as she was clear on the other side, it closed shut immediately. Naminé gasped as she fell back. Worried, she picked up the broken spear and pushed it against the weakened point. Thankfully, it still went through, probably a lot more easily than before. Kairi swam back to the barrier, looking in.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Naminé nodded, “Yeah, it’s not easy going against Wakka’s magic. I need to rest for awhile.”

“Alright. I’ll wait for you. Ever since Wakka told the guards to be wary of me when I’m alone, they’re quicker to snitch on me. If I’m with you, they don’t suspect me much.” said Kairi. Naminé grinned as she remembered what Kairi had done to get that attention.

About an hour later, much longer than when Kairi had escaped, Naminé had finally made the hole large enough for her to escape. Following the instruction Naminé had given her, Kairi placed her hands along the edge.

She kept one near the top and the other hand near the bottom. She moved aside and directed her flow of magic towards her hands to keep the hole from instantly closing shut. Naminé still had her hands along the edge as well but at the count of three, she let go and quickly swam through. Kairi gasped as she felt Wakka’s magic quickly overpower her own. Naminé rushed through as Kairi flinched away from the barrier.

“That’s what you’ve been putting up with?” asked Kairi as she looked Naminé. She looked a bit paler than usual but her color was slowly returning to her.

“Yeah,” said Naminé, catching her breath. “But it’s fine now. We’re free so we have to find out what happened without Leon or the others finding us.” Kairi nodded and together they began swimming.

The girls passed a couple of guards but they didn’t stop them. Feeling a bit more confident, Naminé and Kairi swam towards the main corridor and as they passed, they spotted Leon. Kairi grabbed Naminé and pulled her behind a large pillar. They both held still as Wakka joined Leon.

“Is he awake?” asked Wakka.

“He’s starting to. You’ll have to bring him into his Grace Period. I doubt he’ll do it himself now.” said Leon.

“You sure, man?”

Leon nodded, “It’s the only way. Once you’ve done that, we can release the humans.”

“What’s going to happen to Roxas?”

“It all depends on Cid and the King’s decision.” They swam off towards the direction of the garden. Kairi and Naminé waited for a few seconds before they finally allowed themselves to breathe.

With a confirming look, they knew where they had to go first. They quickly swam through the main hallway, dashing past soldiers and guards as they made their way to the dungeon. Only one guard was stationed at the entrance and he had stopped the girls.

“Where are you two going?” asked the guard.

“We are here to visit Roxas.” said Naminé.

“I’m sorry, Sirena, but I’ve been ordered not to let anyone in. We have some dangerous prisoners locked up.” The guard said. Naminé looked worried and she was about to try and persuade him but Kairi beat her to it. She swam up to the guard and tapped her finger against his forehead. The guard swayed, his eyes slowly drooping until he finally fell asleep.

She grinned at Naminé. She might not have the knack for healing but when it came using her magic to create distractions, it was her specialty.

“Desperate times, Naminé.” said Kairi. Naminé smiled as they swam in.

They rushed past several empty cells until they finally heard voices towards the back. They slowed down and peered around the corner. There they were; locked up in the strongest cell the palace had.

They spotted three unfamiliar faces. A blue-haired merman and blond merman sat away from the rest. They both had the expression as if they were deeply thinking. The other unfamiliar face belonged to a long haired red-head. He stood out the most because of his bright tail and hair. Roxas was leaning against the merman’s chest.

The other face they recognized was Riku’s. Naminé gasped in small horror as she looked at how they had chained him up.

“That’s horrible.” whispered Naminé to Kairi. Kairi looked at him, noticing the metal hoop around Riku’s chest.

“I want to hit something again.” They heard Roxas say.

“Hope is not lost.” said Axel. He was looking straight at them. He seemed to be the only one to notice them.

“What makes you say that?” asked Roxas as he looked up at Axel.

“Well, those girls over there are staring at us.” said Axel as he pointed towards the bars. Roxas looked towards the bars and those ‘girls’ were Naminé and Kairi. Naminé and Kairi smiled as they swam around the corner. A smile appeared on Roxas’s face as he swam out of Axel’s arms and to the stone bars.

“Kairi! Naminé! What’re you doing here?”

Kairi grinned, “What do you think? We’re going to bust you guys out of here.” She looked at the others who all had their eyes on them except for Riku. He had a rather blank expression. Axel swam up to the bars as well, staying by Roxas’s side.

“I’m Axel,” He greeted. “It would’ve been nice if we meet under different circumstances.” Kairi looked at Axel from head to tail. Then she glanced over at Roxas.

“I’m Kairi, the Pincoya of the Palace,” She said. “And I approve.” Kairi added as she gave Roxas the thumbs up. Roxas blushed, scowling. Axel laughed and stuck his arm through the bar as he shook her hand. Naminé chuckled at them before she looked for the door.

It was purposely hidden to keep prisoners discouraged from thinking about escaping. She ran her hands down one bar and moved back as five of the bars swung open. Roxas grinned as he rushed out. Axel followed right behind him. Naminé swam in, looking at the blonde merman.

“I’m the Sirena, Naminé.” she introduced herself. Then she swam over to Riku to help him.

“She reminds me of Aerith,” said Zexion as he swam towards the exit. “She was the Sirena as well.”

Kairi was filling in Roxas on what she knew and how they had escaped Wakka’s barrier. Zexion smirked as she saw how animated she was. “I’m thinking more of a cross between Yuffie and Tifa.” Kairi looked at them and waved them over.

“Operation Rescue Sora is not dead!”

Naminé looked over Riku’s bound wrists. His skin was rubbed raw and bloody and she could tell he’d been struggling against them. She held his wrists in her hands as she gently turned them over. She looked for the groove in the metal to unlock it.

Riku looked at Naminé, recognizing her from that time she had asked for his name. Naminé found the groove and ran her finger along it, pushing her magic into it. The bonds unlocked and fell away. She frowned as she notice the extent of his bruises.

“You’re that girl.” said Riku. Naminé smiled at him as she concentrated on healing his wrists.

“I’m glad you remembered,” she said. After healing them, she moved on to the metal hoop around his chest. She scowled as she quickly found the groove. She pushed her magic into it and it came apart. “I’m sorry they did this to you. Even if you are a human, it’s cruel to clamp this thing around you.”

“Is it that bad?” asked Riku as he lifted himself off the ground.

Naminé nodded, “There’s a spell that is inscribed into it to sap the strength from whoever wears it. Relax for a moment and your energy will return.”

Naminé smiled at him as she led him out the cell to where the others were. Kairi looked at Riku, giving him the same look over.

“I’m really surprised at Sora’s tastes.” She finally said. Kairi looked at Roxas again. “You two chose good mates.”

“Kairi!” yelled Roxas, his face flushed with embarrassment. “You can say that later! Sora still needs help.”

“That’s all good but isn’t the place full of soldiers.” asked Axel. Naminé had swum off and came back with their weapons. Kairi swam over to Naminé and helped her out by taking Axel’s chakrams. She looked at them curiously before she handed them over to Axel.

“We’ll lead you to where Sora is,” said Kairi. “And you’ll take us hostage.”

\------

A faint pain throbbed throughout Sora’s chest.

He groaned as he numbly lifted his hand to his chest. Instead of feeling his familiar smooth chest, he felt a rough, raised knob of flesh. Concerned, Sora forced his eyes open as he slowly sat upright. He flinched in pain as he felt another dull throb pulse through him. He looked down at his chest and gasped.

There was a large scar across his chest. It started from his left shoulder all the way towards his right hip. He ran a shaky hand along the scar, feeling the twisted healed skin. It had not healed pretty.  Sora looked around and noticed he was in his garden. Beside him was his turtle and resting on his lap was the octopus. He smiled at them, gently tapping the shell of the turtle.

“Sora. You’re awake.”

He looked towards the entrance and saw Leon. Sora growled and shuffled further away, scaring the octopus from his lap. Leon sighed as he swam into the garden but he didn’t approach Sora.

“Where’s Riku?” demanded Sora.

“We have him locked in the cells.” said Leon. Sora glared at him as he backed away from Leon even more.

“I want to see him.”

“You know I can’t do that.” Leon said. Sora scowled as he looked away. The octopus he had startled off his lap swam towards Sora and settled down on top of his head. Sora let a small smile slip as he felt a tentacle press against the side of his face.

Another throb pulsed through his body and he gripped his chest. Guilt lanced through Leon but it didn’t deter him from the fact that he needed Sora to be calm.

“Leon, I want to see him.” Sora said again, the determined look back in his blue eyes.

“Sora, can you tell me what you see in that human?” asked Leon. Sora’s glare softened as he remembered what Roxas had told him about Leon’s past and Cloud. Sora held out his hands as the turtle swam towards him. He grabbed the front flippers and smiled before it settled back down on his lap.

“He makes me happy.” said Sora. “And don’t interrupt me!” He added as he saw that Leon was about to do that. “I’m not unhappy here. It’s my home, Leon. I care about everyone here like family…but… Riku’s different and not that he’s human; that’s obvious.” Sora noticed Wakka swim in, standing by Leon.

“Am I interrupting?” asked Wakka.

Sora shook his head, “I’m trying to explain why I like Riku to Leon.”

Wakka smiled as he swam towards Sora. “You think it’s getting through that head of his?” Sora laughed, probably the first time since he’d been in the palace. Leon frowned, his brow furrowing together. He did ask Wakka to make Sora comfortable but not at his expense.

He sighed, glancing over at Sora. At least it was working. Sora wasn’t suspicious of Wakka.

“I’ll make sure it will!”

“Good. You’re probably the only one who can,” said Wakka. Sora smiled, his determination to convince Leon made stronger. Wakka smiled at Sora then patted his head, “Sora, I’m about to extract your excess magic and see if I can heal that scar.”

“You can do that?”

“You probably don’t want to feel self-conscious about it” said Wakka as he looked at Sora’s chest.

Sora nodded as he ran his hand along the scar. He shivered as he felt the little raised knots of twisted skin that had mended together. He didn’t want it.

“You need a focused mind. So you’ll have to relax for me. You can continue on persuading that one over there.” He pointed towards Leon.

“Alright, I can do that.” said Sora. Wakka nodded as he sat down near Sora. The brunette watched as Wakka began chanting. It wasn’t the ancient language like the one Sora used but he could sense power from it. Sora noticed that the tentacle-like magic threads swirling around him were being pulled towards Wakka. They were gathering into an orb in front of Wakka. He stared at it, watching it slowly expand as it took the threads away. Sora looked away and back to Leon.

“You were saying?” said Leon.

Sora stared at his fin, making it slap the ground. “…I love Riku.” He paused. A smile appeared on his lips as he repeated that same sentence. He laughed softly; saying those words made him feel warm. He looked back at Leon.

“He treats me normally. It’s not only that either!” Sora added as he saw that Leon wanted to interrupt again. “There’s more…a lot more…but I want you to know that I want to be with him.” He paused again but this time because he felt strange.

He looked over at Wakka and he had a concentrated look on his face. The orb had floated near Sora and a steady flow of magic was being poured into his body. It was entering through his chest and although it wasn’t painful at all, if was fairly strange. He could feel his magic course throughout his own body.

“How are you holding up?” asked Wakka.

“I feel strange…”

“Don’t worry, it’ll pass.” reassured Wakka. Sora nodded.

Leon was starting to feel a bit more relaxed. He watched Sora who was looking out the exit. It was nothing more than a patient waiting look until he saw that Sora’s eyes had widened. Leon heard shouting and he turned to look.

They had escaped.

Roxas, the humans, and Zexion and Cloud had managed to escape. And they were holding Kairi and Naminé hostage. Leon growled as he brandished his blade.

Sora’s heart raced. He could see Riku swimming ahead of the group. Axel had Kairi while Zexion was looking after Naminé. As they swam closer, Naminé looked at Sora. A look of surprise crossed her face and she turned her head to whisper to Zexion. Sora brows furrowed together.

Hostages don’t normally look so calm with their abductor, do they? Naminé looked at Sora again and gave a quick wink before she whispered to Roxas.

“Oh…”

Roxas swam towards Riku and said something to him. Riku nodded and quite suddenly they began swimming full speed towards the garden. Now alert, Leon blocked the entrance. Sora could only watch as they tackled Leon head on.

Leon blocked the attack as he felt the force of the blow rock through him. Sora looked at Wakka who was still concentrating on the orb. He took exactly one second to worry about the consequence before he decided to act. Sora dashed away from Wakka. He could feel the pull of magic and disconnection. Sora flinched as he clutched his chest.

“Sora!” called out Wakka. Leon looked back and that cost him. Roxas moved aside as Riku slammed his tail against Leon’s chest. He grunted in pain and dropped his blade. Riku didn’t let his chance go to waste. He rammed Leon into the wall and pressed his sword against Leon’s neck.

“Don’t you dare move.” Riku growled.

“Riku!” Sora cried out. Riku ignored him but he heard the concern in Sora’s voice.

He resisted the temptation to hurt Leon even though he wanted to. Roxas swam over to Sora and pulled him further away from Wakka. Axel released Kairi as he swam over to Wakka and pointed his chakrams at him. Kairi dashed towards Sora and hugged him before she pulled back. She looked at the scar along Sora’s chest, gasping in surprise.  She reached out and ran her fingers along the scar.

“Sora, what happened?”

“An accident but it’s nothing that can be quickly explained.” said Sora. Kairi nodded and swam towards Wakka. However, he yelled back at her to stay away. Naminé swam into the garden as Zexion blocked the entrance. Soldiers gathered around couldn’t storm in without endangering the girls and Sora.

“Sora, you can’t possibly think you’ll be able to leave now, do you?” asked Leon. Riku growled and held the blade even closer to Leon’s neck.

“Riku! Don’t!” Sora yelled. At the same time, Wakka yelled out to him. Sora looked behind at Wakka.

The orb Wakka was managing to hold was starting to shift uncontrollably. The same threads of magic that had swirled from him were branching out from the orb. Roxas swam towards Zexion to help him keep out the soldiers. There was nowhere else to go to.

“Sora,” Leon’s voice rang out clearly in the commotion. “You know there’s no way to leave.”

Sora clenched his fist. Things couldn’t end when everyone else had done so much to help him. Even Roxas risked his status and possible banishment from the Kingdom. They wouldn’t let him go unpunished if he was caught.

Sora looked at the entrance to the garden and he made his decision. Sora swam towards Wakka, going around Axel as he grabbed the orb. The tentacles of magic quickly latched on to him, delving back into his body. He swam away from the rest, towards the back of the garden as he took a deep breath and pushed the orb into his chest.

“Sora! Stop that!” Wakka cried out. Sora ignored him as he concentrated on keeping all of his excess magic inside his body. His body shook and he felt suffocated from the effort. He cried out as he dropped to the ground. A twitch appeared in Leon’s neck as he glared at Riku. With Riku’s blade against his neck, he couldn’t do much.

“Shit! Let go of me.” Leon said.

“Like hell! I’m only holding back for Sora’s sake,” He heard Sora scream behind him and he yearned to see what was happening but he couldn’t take his eyes off Leon. He made that mistake already.  “Axel, what the hell is going on!?”

Axel kept his chakrams aimed at Wakka as he looked around. “Zexion, Roxas, and the girls are holding up the entrance. Sora collapsed when he shoved a glowy orb into his chest and Cloud is intently watching him.”

“Cloud, can you give a better explanation?” Riku shouted. Cloud nodded and swam towards Sora. Another yell tore from Sora’s mouth as a single magical thread shot out of his body. It passed through Cloud and with effort Sora had to pull it back. Cloud swam away, towards Riku and Leon.

“You started it already?” Cloud asked as he looked at Leon. Leon didn’t answer. His eyes said it all. Cloud frowned, sympathy flitting through his eyes before he became mad. “You’re an idiot.” Riku looked at Cloud then Leon.

“What am I not getting?” He asked.

“He-” Cloud suddenly stopped. He turned around as his body remembered that familiar feeling.

It was coming from Sora who was still crouched on the ground, his hands gripping his arms tightly. He was sure the others couldn’t feel or hear it yet but the magical pressure emanating from Sora was gradually getting larger. Cloud could hear Sora singing but he was singing too fast. All he could distinguish was that Sora was singing in the ancient language.

Zexion and Wakka were the next to feel the magic surrounding Sora and spreading out. Right after, all the others, even Riku and Axel could feel Sora’s magic course through the water. The magic rippled, in tune with Sora’s rapid singing. Axel shivered and he looked at Wakka.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure.” responded Wakka. He was just as confused as the rest. Kairi and Naminé both looked behind them. The girls exchanged a worried look. They wanted to go to Sora but they knew if they weren’t near the entrance with Zexion, Cid would have his soldiers swarm in.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Naminé asked. Kairi shook her head.

“Cloud, is Sora okay?” asked Riku, worried. Cloud looked at Sora.

His body wasn’t trembling anymore but he was still singing quickly. Sora kept singing, putting all of his excess magic into his voice. The pressure inside was gradually lessening but it didn’t mean he was entirely comfortable yet. He sang until he heard the faint clicks and whistles. Sora smiled and kept on singing letting his feelings ring out as well.

The clicks and whistle grew louder as the others heard them as well. Wakka looked at Sora and realization hit him as he recognized the sounds.  He flicked his tail against Axel’s hands, making him drop his chakrams. Before Axel could retaliate, Wakka wrapped an arm around Axel’s waist as he swam far away from Sora and the wall behind him.

“The hell!”

A second later, the wall exploded inward. A cloud of sand obscured everyone’s vision as the clicks and whistle rang loudly right before them. Chunks of wall fell around Sora and would have crushed him if it weren’t for a large Orca shielding him.

There were several Orcas in the garden, emitting clicks and whistle to examine their surroundings. Riku had swum away from Leon on the impact, dashing towards Sora. He swam underneath the Orca and grabbed Sora’s shoulder, lifting him up from his crouched position. Sora smiled when he saw Riku.

“Tell everyone to gather around them,” said Sora. Sora clutched his chest as a dull throb went through him. He still had to sing, not as quickly, but he couldn’t stop for too long. “Hurry!” Riku nodded and he reluctantly let Sora’s shoulder go. He swam from underneath the Orca shielding Sora.

“C’mon! We’re leaving!” Riku shouted. Cloud was the first one to swim up to an Orca. He smiled as he patted the nose. The others swam towards the Orcas. Zexion grabbed Naminé’s and Kairi’s wrist as he dragged them along.

“Don’t forget you are still hostages.” Zexion said. The girls nodded but they weren’t concerned. Kairi was actually grinning.

Roxas looked at her and shook his head in disbelief as he followed Zexion. As soon as they were gone from the entrance, Cid swarmed in but two Orcas blocked the entrance. The soldiers backed away, their spears pointed at the large mammals.

Riku swam back to Sora, once everyone was gathered together. Sora nodded and he reached up to touch the belly of the Orca shielding him. It clicked and whistled as the other Orcas gathered around it and Sora’s group.

“We’re leaving? Like that?” Axel asked as the pod started to move.

“Everyone knows you don’t mess with Orcas,” Roxas said. “They won’t attack.”

The leader of the pack stayed as Sora found his body unwilling to move. Riku pulled Sora’s arm across his shoulder and wrapped his other arm around Sora’s waist. Riku gave one last glare towards Leon before he swam off with Sora and the Orca.

Leon, Cid and Wakka watched them leave. Even Cid wasn’t battle-crazy enough to go fight an Orca, especially not a pod of Orcas.

“We lost this one, didn’t we?” Wakka asked as he looked at Cid.

“In a way but now we don’t have to rush things.” answered Leon. He sighed as he looked at the mess and massive hole in the wall. “I’ll go report in to the King.” Leon left without another word. Once he was out of earshot, Cid turned towards Wakka.

“What the hell happened?”

“Sora,” said Wakka. “He entered his Grace period.”

\------

The group parted with the pod of Orcas when they surfaced; the Orcas heading back to the sea while Riku and the others headed towards the island. It was already becoming dark; the sky tinted a faint red.

Once they reached the island, Sora made a grab for his necklace from Riku. With the necklace gone, Riku’s tail turned back into his legs and in the shallow water he carried Sora. Sora pressed the gem against his neck, underneath his Adam’s apple and his voice was gone.

Riku sat down on dry sand and he held Sora in his arms as Sora voicelessly sang into his gem. Kairi and Naminé stuck around, turning their tails into legs as they sat beside Riku. They weren’t going to leave until they knew Sora was okay. Zexion and Cloud were the first to leave with Demyx and Sephiroth. Roxas stayed behind with Axel. They sat further away, near the shack.

It wasn’t until the sun was gone and the moon up high that Sora finally stopped singing. He sighed as dropped his hand away from his throat.

Riku brushed away the hair sticking to Sora’s face from the sweat. He pressed his palm against Sora’s forehead. It was surprisingly hot considering the rest of his body felt cold. Sora’s eyes fluttered open and he gave a weak smile towards Riku.

“Riku.” His voice sounded weak. He turned his head and noticed Kairi and Naminé. He scrambled to sit upright but all he could manage was to settle himself in-between Riku’s leg. He smiled at them.

“What’re you doing here?” asked Sora. Naminé shuffled closer and she held Sora’s hand. His hands were cold; too cold to be normal.

“That doesn’t matter right now,” She said. She leaned in-between Riku’s legs as she reached out and cupped Sora’s face. He flinched, not sure why he had. Naminé gently smiled at him. “Go to sleep, Sora. Riku is with you now. Leon won’t come after you so sleep.”

Sora nodded. It seemed that he need to hear someone say that to him. As soon as Naminé pulled back her hands, his eyes closed and not a moment later, his chest was gently rising and falling with his even breathing. She took Sora’s necklace from his hand. It was swirling more colors than before and she could feel the power pulsing from it.

“Is he okay?” Riku asked. Kairi looked at Naminé as well.

“He’ll be fine. He exhausted himself from releasing his excess magic. I’m sure you felt it too back there. The balance of magic will fix itself inside his body.” Riku hugged Sora protectively. He was still worried. Sora felt so cold in his arms; almost like he was dead. Riku shook his head of the thought. He shifted Sora into his arms and stood up.

“Thanks for helping out.” Roxas said, carrying Sora. Naminé smiled and nodded.

“Anything for the one Sora loves.” Naminé said. She lifted Sora’s hand and wrapped the necklace around Sora’s wrist twice to prevent it from slipping off.

“We’ll come back to check on Sora,” Kairi said. “So make sure you keep him happy.”

Riku nodded. Of course he was going to keep Sora happy. There was no doubt he would. Kairi nodded and grabbed Naminé’s hand as they ran back into the ocean. They dove into the water and were gone.

Riku turned around and walked towards the shack.

“Axel, hurry and make the fire! It’s too cold to go back now.” Axel nodded as he grabbed Roxas’s hand and entered the shack. Riku stared down at Sora and kissed his forehead. Sora stirred, turning his head towards Riku’s chest. Riku smiled and hurried inside the shack; away from the cold night to the warm burning fire inside.

He wasn’t sure what had exactly happened but Sora was finally in his arms again. At the moment, that was all Riku cared about.


	21. Chapter 21

Sora didn’t remember much after he’d fallen asleep in Riku’s arms that night.

The days that followed were sluggish bits of memory pieced together. He remembered his body being unbearably hot and it felt uncomfortable being in his own skin. He couldn’t talk and his chest constantly pained him. Throughout the recovery, the one clear memory he did have was Riku staying by his side.

Sora wrapped the blanket around tighter, recalling the warmth of Riku’s arms. The room was empty, Riku and Axel both gone for classes. He sat upright and mindlessly looked around the room before he fell back on Riku’s bed.

Sora sighed as he sat up again. He pulled the blanket off his body and stood as he walked over to the full length body mirror on Axel’s closet door. He stared at his naked body, mostly at the scar on his chest. Sora ran his hand along the scar, the mirror reflecting his movement.

It seemed to have healed some more while he was sleeping the past few days. The healed knotted flesh wasn’t as swollen as it had been a week ago but it was still noticeable. Sora furrowed his brow as he stepped closer to the mirror.

“At least it stopped hurting.” Sora said. He ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it up even more then walked back to Riku’s bed. The doorknob jingled and Demyx burst in. Sora nearly jumped out of his skin as he crouched on the ground, his arms covering his head.

“Oh, Sora, you’re up.” Demyx said as he closed the door behind him.

Sora looked up from his arms, recognizing Demyx’s voice.

“Demyx?” Sora patted his hand against his rapid thumping heart. “You scared me.” He stood and sat on Riku’s bed.

“Sorry. You’ve been sleeping like a rock lately and I thought Riku was here. I wanted to scare mama bear.”  Demyx jogged towards Axel’s bed and threw himself on it. He laid down on his side, facing Sora.

“That’s not nice.”

Demyx grinned. “It’s not easy teasing him. Since he’s met you, it’s much easier teasing him so I gotta take advantage of that.” Demyx flopped over to his back and stretched his arms above him. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m much better. My scar stopped hurting.” He placed his hand over his chest. It didn’t hurt anymore but there was something else that he couldn’t pinpoint. He felt normal again but he still felt a bit odd inside. He shrugged and pulled his legs up as he wrapped his arms around his knees.

“I got another question. Why are you naked?” Demyx asked.

“It’s more comfortable. Axel told me it’s okay to be naked here but you’re here now. Should I wear something?”

Demyx shook his head as he sat up. “Go ‘head and stay nude. It doesn’t really affect me since I have Zexion. His body is the only one that gets me excited.”

“I don’t understand.” Sora asked.

Demyx grinned and shook his head. “Don’t worry.” He stood and walked over to Sora. He sat down beside Sora and draped an arm around the brunet’s shoulder. “Say, if you’re feeling better, how ‘bout we go out. You must be tired of this room already. Riku and Axel are busy catching up on notes and whatnot so they’ll be busy for a while.”

Sora lifted his head from his knees. “Are you sure? What if Riku comes back?”

Demyx grinned. He stood up and walked over to Riku’s desk and grabbed a notebook from the drawer. He ripped out a piece of paper and grabbed a marker to scribble down a note.

“All taken care of.” He rushed over to Riku’s closet and pulled it open. Sora placed his feet on the floor and walked over to Demyx. He watched Demyx rummage through different clothes. He pulled out black cargo shorts and a furred collared vest.

“Here you go.” Demyx said as he handed Sora the clothes. Sora nodded as he slipped on the shorts. They looked new and Sora was sure the shorts weren’t Riku’s. The shorts fit snug against his waist. Sora smiled as he ran his fingers through the soft faux fur. He slipped it on and continued to run his fingers through the fur.

“You still need shoes. Let’s see… Oh, Tidus is tiny. Maybe you guys have the same shoe size.”

He grabbed Sora’s hand and pulled him along as they left the room. They walked down the hallway to Tidus’s door. Demyx grinned as he noticed Tidus’s door wasn’t closed but left half an inch open. He smirked and carefully stood in front of the door. Sora watched him curiously, wondering why Demyx had gone silent.

He looked at the door and he could hear music wafting through the crack. Demyx stepped back and took a deep breath. He lifted his leg and kicked the door wide open.

Tidus screamed, jumping away from the door. He dropped the pile of folded clothes in his arms in surprise and clutched his chest as he turned around. Demyx laughed madly as he pointed at Tidus’s boxer.

Little, tiny, pink hearts were printed on it. Tidus blushed and bent to pick up a towel. He growled and threw it at Demyx who kept laughing.

“The hell is wrong with you!!”

“Shoes. I need shoes.” Demyx said as he ignored Tidus. Tidus grumbled and grabbed another towel to throw at the back of Demyx’s head. He sighed and picked the rest of his clothes from the floor. Tidus tossed them on his bed and turned off the music player. He turned and stared at Sora. Tidus recognized his vest but was distracted by the scar. He gasped and walked towards Sora, stopping in front of him.

“Have you always had that?”

Sora shook his head. “It’s a recent wound.” Tidus winced as he looked at it.

“Mermen have it tough, don’t they.”

“I think you have it tough.” Demyx said. Tidus frowned; he didn’t need to be reminded of his dilemma with Selphie.  He led Sora to Tidus’s bed and sat him down. “Have you ever tied the laces on sneakers before?” Sora shook his head. Demyx laughed at a memory when Zexion had first tried to lace up his sneakers. “I’ll do it for you.”

“Why are you taking my shoes? Or my clothes?” Tidus asked.

“Sora and you are roughly the same size. So I figured you’ll have the same shoe size.”

“What kind of logic is that!?”

Demyx grinned. “It’s the perfect logic.” He finished lacing up the shoelaces and looked up at Sora. “How do they feel?” Sora looked at his feet. He wiggled his toes around.

“How are they supposed to feel?” Sora asked.

“If it’s snug, then it’s good.” Sora nodded and he set his feet on the ground. Tidus stared at Sora then to Demyx.

“You’re up to something? I know you are.” Demyx grinned slyly but he didn’t say anything. “Whatever you’re doing, I want in.”

Demyx stood and walked towards Tidus. He leaned in and began whispering into the blond’s ear. Sora watched them as Tidus nodded. The seconds ticked by and Tidus began grinning. He laughed and stepped away from Demyx.

“Maybe he’ll finally lighten up now.”

Demyx grinned. “Of course and considering the shit he has been through, I think he deserves it. They both of them do.” Sora curiously watched them. He didn’t know what they were talking about.

They would occasionally point to him, grin, and then go back to whispering to each other. Sora merely shrugged it off. He glanced down at his chest and touched his scar. It hadn’t bothered him when Tidus stared at it. But he started to wonder if Riku would be okay with it. He drifted off, thinking about nothing in particular while Demyx and Tidus plotted.

Demyx and Tidus finished their conversation and turned towards Sora.

“Sora, do you love Riku?” Demyx asked. Sora came back from his aimless thoughts.

“Of course!” Sora said loudly. Demyx grinned.

“Good answer. Now, question two, has Riku ever done anything to you that, um, felt good?”

“Yeah. When he hold hands, or when he hugs me, and when we kiss. That feels good.” Sora answered.

Demyx sighed. He almost wanted to laugh; Sora looked very naïve. He was sure Riku had at least done something to Sora. There was no way Riku hadn’t tried anything. Demyx just had to word it different. He sat down beside Sora and draped his arm across Sora’s shoulder.

“I don’t mean simple things like that. Has he touched you in a way that made you hot inside?”  Demyx asked. Sora looked at Demyx then away. He remembered the time underneath the broken bridge on the island he spent with Riku. The place Riku touched, the heat he felt even though it was cool, and his urge to want to feel more.

He blushed and couldn’t bring himself to look at Demyx.

“Good response.” Demyx said as he stood. He hauled Sora to his feet as well. Tidus had gone around the room and pulled on whatever he could find. He stood by the door, dressed and ready, as he waited for them.

“Are we going somewhere?” Sora asked.

“We’re going to get a few things, talk to a few people, and wait until Riku is to the point of bursting before we let him devour you.” Demyx said. He grabbed Sora’s hand and led him out of Tidus’s room.

“Tidus, you know your part.” Tidus nodded and ran the opposite direction down the hallway. Demyx and Sora went the other way, taking the stairs rather than the elevator to the ground floor. Demyx looked around at the door before he walked out the staircase.

Sora had no choice to follow, even though he was still confused. He didn’t know what was happening but it must be something fun. Demyx was grinning as he jogged outside. Sora kept up, looking around the open space. It was bright out and the sun was beaming brightly. There wasn’t a single cloud in the blue sky.

Demyx brought Sora to a building he’d never been before. “Demyx, what’s in there?”

“It’s the other boys’ dorm. Zexion’s room is in there.” Demyx said. “He doesn’t use it too much since he sleeps over at my room.”

“Why would he be there?”

“He likes to read in utter silence.” Demyx said, chuckling. Sora followed him into the building.

Demyx took the staircase to the second floor and went all the way down the hallway to the last door. Sora stood by Demyx as the blond fished around his pocket for the keys. Before he had time to unlock the door, it opened. Roxas appeared on the other side, surprised to see Sora. He grinned and pulled Sora into a hug.

“You’re finally awake!” He yelled happily. Sora grinned and hugged his best friend tightly. Demyx slipped in to the room while they talked. Zexion was sitting on his bed, a closed book beside him. Demyx grinned and skipped towards Zexion, planting himself beside his merman.

“What were you talking about?”

“The consequences of living with humans,” Zexion answered. “What do you need?”

Demyx grinned. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play coy. I know when you’re up to something.” Zexion said.

“Don’t worry. I want to tease Riku. He doesn’t know Sora’s awake yet so it’s a perfect chance.” Zexion looked at the two chattering boys by the door. He could see the scar on Sora’s chest. Roxas seemed to be avoiding looking at it.

“Sora. Get in here.” Zexion called out. Sora looked in, walking into the room. Roxas followed Sora, closing the door behind him. Zexion motioned Sora to stand in front of him. Sora stood where Zexion pointed at and watched as he ran his hand along the scar. “Does it hurt?”

Sora shook his head. “No. It doesn’t anymore.” Zexion looked at Sora then back at the scar. His eyes narrowed. He took off Sora’s vest.

“Stay still.” Zexion commanded. He probed his fingers along Sora’s stomach. He didn’t tell Sora what he was doing. There was no need to worry him. It was only a curious thought he had.

He placed his hands against Sora’s chest to sensed Sora’s magical circulatory system. It felt different, lighter when it shouldn’t be. Perhaps it was that he hadn’t sensed the flow of magic in Sora before but he was a Pincoy.

He had checked Cloud’s magical flow enough time to know how it should feel pre-Grace period. He thought back to the rescue, trying to remember when Sora could’ve entered it. Whoever had done it, Zexion was sure Sora hadn’t done it himself, did a hasty job. Zexion turned Sora around and pressed his hands against Sora’s spine.

They were hasty but they got the job done well.

“Zexion?” Sora sounded worried.

“I’m just checking your circulatory system,” Zexion said as he removed his hands. “Shoving that ball of magic inside your body was beyond stupid.”

Sora chuckled as he picked up the vest and slipped it back on. “I wanted to help! Everyone was doing so much and-”

“I understand,” Zexion said. “No need to get worked up now. It was incredibly stupid but you did well.” Sora beamed, happy to have been helpful. At that moment, Sora’s stomach growled loudly. The brunet blushed, chuckling nervously. Demyx laughed as he pulled out his wallet and tossed it to Roxas.

“Go grab some food. There’s a cafeteria on the first floor. Make sure Riku doesn’t see you.” Demyx said. Roxas nodded. He grabbed Sora’s hand and they left. Once the door was closed, Demyx turned towards Zexion.

“Alright, what’s wrong with him?” Demyx asked.

“How did you figure it out?”

Demyx leaned against Zexion. “You complimented Sora on something reckless he did. What did you find out?”

“Nothing good,” Zexion said. “Leon played dirty.” Demyx hummed thoughtfully. He stood then sat back down. He pushed Zexion back, pinning his hands to the bed. Zexion looked at him. Demyx smiled as he kissed him once, twice, and a third time.

“The shit is still hitting the fan, huh?”

Zexion smirked. “You word it so eloquently.” Demyx grinned.

“Well, how else would I say it?” Demyx sat up, standing to his feet as Zexion propped himself up. “Tell me later tonight. I still have to help Sora with Riku.”

“What are you planning?” Zexion asked. Demyx walked over to the desk and pulled open the bottom drawer. He looked around before he smiled and pulled out a small tube. Zexion stared at it then away.

“I don’t want to know.” Zexion said, his face lightly flushed.

“Don’t worry. I’m giving him an unopened tube. We still got plenty.” Zexion blushed even more, refusing to look at Demyx as he settled himself into bed with his book.

\------

Demyx took Sora around town with Roxas.

Hopefully, Tidus had done his part so all he needed to do was keep Sora busy during the day. It wasn’t hard at all, especially not with Roxas with them. They stayed at the arcade most of the time, distracted by the lights and sounds. When the sun was starting to set and it wasn’t too hot, they went to the park after getting lunch.

Sora and Roxas sat underneath a large shady oak tree. Demyx had spotted a group of friends playing Frisbee and joined them.

“You sure it doesn’t hurt?” Roxas asked for the hundredth time.

“Yeah, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Sora said. He ran his hand along the scar. “Riku… won’t mind, will he?”

“Of course not.” Roxas said. “After all he went through, he won’t mind at all.”

Sora hummed as he touched his scar again. He knew Riku wouldn’t mind the scar, and he himself didn’t care too much, but the scar did make him feel less beautiful. Sora groaned and threw himself against Roxas. He laid his head on Roxas’s lap, staring up at the branches above him.

“I can’t help but worry that he won’t like me anymore ‘cause I’m not beautiful.”

“He’s not that shallow. He missed a lot of classes staying by your side while you still had that fever.” Roxas said. Sora looked at his friend and grinned as he poked his stomach.

“When did you start liking Riku?” Sora asked with a teasing grin. Roxas blushed and looked away. Sora smiled and tackled Roxas to the ground. He sat on Roxas’s stomach and wiggled his fingers at Roxas.

“He… might not be a bad guy.” Roxas mumbled. Sora grinned and commenced tickling Roxas. Roxas laughed, fighting back Sora’s hands. Sora smiled, holding his position until Roxas caught a good grip on his wrist. Roxas grinned as he pulled Sora down then rolled over, effectively pinning Sora underneath him. Roxas pinned Sora’s hands on top of his stomach and straddled him.

“I win!” Roxas said.

Sora wrinkled his nose at Roxas. He knew when he was beat. “Roxas, do you love Axel?” He asked.

“W-why do you ask?”

“We have no place to go. I mean, we do but things won’t be the same if we go back. And I don’t intend to if Leon’s going to be a jerk about Riku.” Sora said, staring into Roxas’s eyes. Roxas knew that. That was the reason why he’d been talking to Zexion. He needed to know about how they could live on the island.

“We’ll be fine. I talked to Zexion about this matter.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.” Sora said.

Roxas blushed and looked away. “I think I am. I mean, he’s not bad for a human. He’s got his good points.” Sora looked at him and smiled even more. Roxas was still being stubborn about his feelings. He wiggled his hands free and poked Roxas’s stomach again, stopping his ramblings.

“It’s fine. As long as you don’t deny anything then it’s alright.” Sora said. Roxas grinned as he poked Sora back. He got off of Sora and helped him up. Sora brushed his hands against his pants and looked around. He could see Demyx in the far distant, running towards them.

“Alright!” Demyx yelled as he neared them. He came to a stop and sat down underneath the cool shade. He leaned back and propped himself up on his arms. “Sora, listen up well. With this tube I’m about to give you, I promise you that Riku and you will be closer than before.”

\------

“I just want to sleep.” Axel drawled as he burst into the room. He tossed his notebooks on his desk and threw himself on his bed. His hands were pulsing in dull pain from writing for so long. He groaned into his pillow and sat up.

He finally realized Sora wasn’t on Riku’s bed. Or in the room for that matter. “Hmmm. I didn’t think they’ll move that quickly. ”

“Axel, you took the notes for math, didn’t you?” Riku asked as he walked into the room. Of course, he immediately realized Sora wasn’t where he was supposed to be. “Where is he?”

Axel shrugged. “I don’t know but he’s safe.”

“How do you know?” Riku asked as he dropped his messenger bag on the bed.

“There be a note.” Axel said as he pointed at Riku’s desk. Riku looked behind him, noticing the folded piece of paper.

“Professor Vexen would skin you alive if he heard you.” Riku said as he grabbed the note.

“Axel no care.” Axel grunted. He sniggered and flopped back down on his bed. “Grammar can kiss my ass right now. I need sleep.” He rolled over to his stomach as Riku read the note. He read it again then crumpled the paper up.

“Idiot. This note doesn’t even make sense.” Riku sighed as he sat down on his bed.

“What does it say?” Axel asked.

“It’s says; Stay in your room or no tube for you.”

Axel started laughing loudly. He sat up and propped himself against the way, still chuckling. “Who wrote that?”

“By the handwriting, it’s Demyx. It’s still chicken shit.”

Axel grinned. “Sora should be fine then. I guess you have to stay here.” Riku narrowed his eyes as he looked at Axel.

“You know something.” Riku stated.

“Of course I know something,” Axel said as he stood. “Think of it as a gift. Stay here and I’ll go get your prince.”

\------

It wasn’t until it was well past ten that the door to Riku’s room opened. Sora stepped in and quietly closed the door behind him. The lights were off but there was plenty of moonlight streaming through the window. Sora could see Riku lying down on his bed. Was he asleep?

Sora walked over to Riku’s bed, looking curiously at Riku’s figure. His hair was splayed over the pillow, seemingly glowing from the lack of light. Sora smiled and reached his hand out, touching Riku’s soft hair.

“I was wondering when they’ll let you go.” Sora blinked as Riku’s hands grabbed his wrist. Before he had time to yelp in surprise, Riku pulled him down. Sora smiled as Riku wrapped his arms around him. He cuddled up against Riku, resting his head next to Riku’s.

“You weren’t sleeping?” Sora asked.

“I got used to having a body pillow next to me. I need it to sleep.” Riku said. Sora blushed, guessing he was the body pillow. He wiggled out of Riku’s arms and sat up, his blushing becoming redder.

Demyx had explained what to do but he still found it difficult to do. He knew what he was asking and they had reassured him Riku wouldn’t run away. Riku sensed his hesitation and he sat up as well. “Sora?”

Sora looked at him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small tube. Sora looked away as he held it out to him. Riku took it, not knowing what it was. He leaned over and turned on the mini-lamp on the bedside table. He read the label and immediately understood the note Demyx left.

“What did Demyx make you do?” He asked, making a mental note to beat Demyx within an inch of his life.

Sora shook his head. “It’s not what you think, Riku. Demyx didn’t put me up to it. In fact, he helped me. I want this because I love you and you are my mate.”

Riku held up his hand. “Wait. Go back to what you just said.”

“You’re my mate?”

“Before that.” Riku said.

“I love you?” Sora said. He paused, wondering why Riku asked him that when he suddenly realized it himself.

He never actually said ‘I love you’ to Riku before. It seemed like he said it to everyone but Riku. He looked up from his twiddling thumbs and at Riku. Riku had noticed the same thing. And it seemed that Riku was turning red too.

Sora crawled towards Riku, sitting directly in front of him. He held Riku’s hands, their fingers interlocking. His hands were incredibly hot. He looked up at Riku, staring into those eyes that he loved so very much.

“I love you, Riku.” Sora said. He smiled. Those words made him feel warm. “I really love you. I love you a lot!” Riku couldn’t help but smile. He leaned in, cupping Sora’s face in his hands. Sora started to blush, feeling hyper aware of how close Riku’s face was. He could individually feel every one of Riku’s fingers on his face.

“I love you too, Sora.” Riku said, staring directly into his merman’s eyes. He could see the tears weld up in the corners of Sora’s eyes. For a second, Riku panicked but then Sora smiled.

Riku could see the evident happiness flowing from Sora’s smile. Sora lunged forward, tackling Riku back as he wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck. Riku held Sora around the waist as the momentum tipped them backwards. They fell over the edge of the bed, Riku taking most of the thudded hit to the floor. The sheets fell with them, tangling between their legs.

Half of the bed seemed to be on the floor with them but that didn’t matter to either of them.

“You mean it? You really do?” Sora asked, looking down at Riku. Riku chuckled and nodded.

“I’ll say it as many time as you want me to.”

“Do you love me as me and not just the Pincoy?” Sora asked.

“I only know you as you, Sora. I love you, the merman who you are, not what you are.” Riku said.

Sora grinned, the sprinkle of tears coming on again. Finally, he had someone that didn’t see him as only the Pincoy. Kairi, Roxas, and Namine were different. They were like family. Riku, on the other hand, wasn’t. It made it that much more special.

“Tell me again, please?”

“I love you, Sora.” Sora smiled, feeling such love radiating through him for the human beneath him. Riku looked at his eyes, easily understanding what was going on through Sora’s mind. “Since my bed is ruined and I don’t particularly feel like fixing it, let’s go to Axel’s bed.” Sora nodded, getting off of Riku so he could stand up. Riku followed, sitting beside his merman.

“Now tell me what Demyx told you?” Riku said.

“He said that tube will help us get closer.” Sora said. “He said you needed it for sex.”

Riku sighed. “KY jelly is a definite need. Did he say anything else?”

“Only that you were going to explain how.” Sora said.

“I’m going to kill him.” Riku mumbled. Sora curiously looked at him. He didn’t understand why Riku was upset at Demyx. Demyx was being helpful. He lifted his hand and poked Riku’s chin.

“Do you not want too?” Sora asked. Riku turned red and looked away. He definitely wanted too but not under the circumstances at the moment. Riku looked back at Sora.

“Tomorrow,” Riku said. He grinned as his mind formed an idea. “We’ll do this under our terms.” Sora nodded, understanding just a bit.


	22. Chapter 22

Early in the morning, Riku woke up.

He tried to slip away from Sora’s arms but the brunet woke up as well. Sora yawned, drowsily blinking as he watched Riku climbed out of bed. Sora stretched out on the bed as he looked out the window. It was still dark outside. Sora could hear Riku rummage through his closet. He sat upright and rubbed his eyes, yawning again.

“Riku?”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to wake you up.”

“Dark.” Sora mumbled, flopping back down on the bed.

Riku chuckled as he continued to look for something to wear. Sora grabbed the covers and wrapped it around his body. With half sleepy eyes, he watched Riku get dressed.

He stared at him as Riku took off his pants. Sora took in an eyeful before he realized what he was doing. He blushed and looked away, covering his head with the fuzzy blanket. He was trying to size up Riku. He closed his eyes but he could still see Riku’s body in his mind.

He opened his eyes and pulled the blanket off his head. Riku had put on a pair of pants but he was still shirtless. Sora eyed him as he watched Riku stretch his arms above his head. Riku’s back flexed and Sora looked away again. He always knew Riku was attractive but he’d never really l _ooked_.

“Sora?”

Sora jerked as he whipped his head towards Riku. He was suddenly aware of how close Riku was. It shouldn’t have felt strange. Riku was always near him. But it did feel strange.

Sora blushed but he didn’t look away. Riku pressed his hand against Sora’s forehead. Sora looked at Riku’s hand, his eyes following his arms, to his shoulder, and Riku’s neck. He turned a brighter red and swatted Riku’s hand away. He dove under the covers and refused to let himself be seen.

“I didn’t mean to slap your hand.” Sora mumbled from underneath the blanket. He heard Riku chuckle and a second later Riku picked him up, covers and all, and sat the brunet down on his lap.

“What’s going on?” Riku asked as he pulled the covers off Sora’s head.

“I’m becoming aware of you.” Sora said softly.

“Aware? Are you telling me you’re just noticing me now?” Riku teased. Sora pouted and he smacked Riku’s chest.

“Not like that!” He stuck his tongue out at Riku. “I… I think it’s because of my mating season.”

“Mating season? You have a _season_?”

Sora nodded. “All Merfolk do. It’s how we choose our mates.”

“How long does the season last?” Riku asked.

“From June to August, I think.” Sora said.

“Three months?!”

Sora looked up at Riku. “Don’t humans have a mating season?”

“I wouldn’t call it a season. More like a mood but what do you mean by mates?” Riku asked but when he looked down at Sora he realized that his merman wasn’t listening. Sora was recalling if Leon ever explained the mating season to him. He remembered his Guardian mentioning it to him but nothing else.

He didn’t explain it well. Sora grumbled and crossed his arms.

“Leon’s a jerk. He mentioned it to me but he never explained how it’s supposed to affect me.” He fumed and huffed before he looked at Riku. Riku was amused by the look on his face. Sora frowned, furrowing his brow as he poked Riku’s chest. “What?”

“It could be because of our conversation last night.” Riku said.

“Last night?” Sora thought back on last night until a blush spread over his cheeks. He suddenly became aware of Riku’s arm holding him to his lap. He realized how close he was to Riku’s neck. All he had to do was lean closer…

“Sora?”

He froze. He really was actually leaning towards Riku’s neck. His blush turned a brighter crimson. He wiggled out of Riku’s arms and hid underneath the covers again. Riku laughed.

“It’s not funny!” Sora yelled. Riku only laughed some more.

The bed creaked and he felt the covers slide off his body. He could feel Riku looming over him but he didn’t turn around. He felt Riku’s hand run down his back and back up to his neck. Sora shivered, feeling it acutely. He felt Riku lean down, pressing his lips against the back of his neck.

“I find it cute.” He whispered.

Sora finally turned over. He stared at Riku, feeling the heat rush to his face. In the barely-lit room by the slow rising sun, Riku kissed him. He nipped at the brunet’s bottom lip, licking his way into Sora’s mouth.

Sora groaned softly, wrapping his arms around Riku’s neck and pulled him down as he kissed back. Sora could tell the kiss was much different than the others. Much more intense than the usual pecks they shared. Riku felt Sora’s finger run through his hair and he didn’t want to stop. But he had too.

Regrettably, Riku pulled away first. Sora whined and pulled Riku’s head back down for a quick kiss.

“You’re getting bold.” Riku teased, propping himself back up on his hands.

Sora opened his mouth to protest but closed it. He did just steal a kiss from Riku. Sora didn’t argue.

Instead, he smiled and slid his hand down the back of Riku’s neck, around to the front where he let his fingers run along his bare collarbone. Riku shivered. If only he had a camera, he’d take of picture of Sora’s face and never erase it. He groaned and sat up. Damning the fact that he couldn’t skip today’s finals.

“You’re definitely getting bolder.” Riku said. “But we can do this later tonight.” Sora sat up as well. He watched Riku walk over to his closet and pulled on a plain shirt. Sora sighed when all that skin was covered up.

“Why tonight?” Sora asked.

“I have finals: two today, two more on Wednesday, and my last final on Friday.” Riku said.

“Finals?”

“A last test to end the semester,” Riku said. “After this week, I won’t have any more classes.” He walked to his desk and started searching for his phone. Sora looked out the window. The sun had begun its climb over the horizon. The horizon held a purple tinge to it as the glowing sun began to lighten the blue sky. Axel’s bed creaked and Sora turned back around. Riku sat beside him and handed Sora a cell phone.

“What is this?” Sora asked as he examined it. He pushed one of the numbers and they all lit up.

“Your cell phone.” Riku said.

He began explaining it to Sora, telling him what each button did. Riku had already added his own cell number and set it on speed dial. Sora carefully listened to Riku, committing to memory what each button did. After twenty minutes, Sora understood the simple mechanics of it. He grinned as he clicked on the buttons to make them light up.

“Why do I need this?” Sora asked.

“When I’m done with my exams, I’m going to call you so we can disappear together,” Riku said. He leaned in close to Sora, brushing his lips against the outer shell of Sora’s ear. Sora shivered, clutching the sheets in his hands. Riku smirked and ran his lips from Sora’s ear, down along his jaw line and stopping just below his lips. He could feel the small trembles from Sora’s body.

He was having way too much fun teasing his merman. He leaned away so he could see Sora’s flustered face. “We can continue tonight.”

Riku could practically see the steam rise out of Sora’s head. Sora blushed and looked away, muttering something or the other about Riku being unfair. Riku hid his amused smile as he grabbed his messenger bag from his desk.

“I’m going to the library to study before the exams.” Riku said.

“When does it start?” Sora asked.

“The first exam begins around nine thirty.”

Sora looked at his phone and hit a random number. The screen lit up, displaying the date and time. He looked at the numbers for a second before he gave up and looked out to the sky.

“It’s only seven.” Sora said, looking back at Riku only to see him smirking. Sora pouted and grabbed his phone. “I don’t know which numbers is the time. There’s too many numbers!”

“It’s the big ones that dominate most of the screen,” Riku said. “And if I stay here I won’t get much studying done. Besides,” He quietly walked to the door and grabbed the doorknob. Sora curiously stared at him.

Riku smiled and suddenly opened the door. Roxas, who had been trying to listen in on them, tumbled into the room. From the hallway, Sora could hear Axel’s loud laughing. Roxas groaned and sat up as he grabbed his head. Riku looked at Sora, pointing towards Roxas, “You won’t be lonely until I call you.”

Riku stepped over Roxas’s body and left. Roxas grumbled as he stood to his feet. “Jerk!” He yelled down the hallway. Sora laughed as Roxas smoothed out his shirt. He looked at Sora, taking in his shirtless body, flushed face, and rumpled hair. Roxas growled as he walked over to Sora. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Sora said, taken aback by Roxas accusing tone. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at the door. “What were _you_ doing at the door?” Roxas gaped like a fish as he tried to explain. Sora smirked and stood up.

“T-that doesn’t matter,” Roxas finally stammered. “I was just concerned with… well, y’know…” He sighed as he grabbed Sora’s hand and hauled him out the room. “Axel, can you grab us some towels.”

“Alright.” Axel said.

“Roxas? I’m really confused.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not the only one.” Roxas said. He opened the door and walked into the bathroom.

The lights flicked on as they walked past the toilet stalls and into the wide open area of the shower stalls. Sora smiled as he remembered it was okay to be naked in there. Roxas picked a stall and turned on the knob, letting the cascade of water warm up. Sora kicked off his shorts and headed in, nearly slipping on the wet tile. He giggled as the warm water fell over his body.

“You’re going to get cold.” Sora said, leaning against the door.

“Wait a minute.” Roxas said as he pulled off his shirt. Axel walked in with the towels and his bag of toiletries. Roxas jogged over to him, grabbed the bag and towels, jogged back to the stall and hung the towels on the hooks on the wall, then took of his pants and walked into the wide stall with Sora.

“You guys don’t care?” Axel said as he walked near the stall.

“Care about what?” Sora asked. Roxas took a bar of soda from the bag and handed it to Sora. Sora sniffed it. Riku always used the liquid soap.

“You’re both pretty okay with being close to each other naked.” Axel said.

“But we’re naked all the time in the ocean,” Sora said. “It’s not strange.”

“Okay, Axel, can you leave us alone for awhile?” Roxas asked, leaning against the door.

“Saying that makes me want to stay.” Axel said. Roxas grumbled. He looked behind him. Sora was busy holding the bar of soap underneath the stream of water. He looked preoccupied. Roxas turned back to Axel and motioned for him to get closer. Axel did, standing on the other side of the stall door.

Roxas looked behind him again. Sora was kneeling, rummaging through the bag of toiletries. He turned back, went on his toes, and quickly kissed Axel. He quickly backed away before Axel had time to react.

“Please?”

Axel touched his lips and he had half a mind to pull Roxas out of that stall. Instead, he nodded then smirked. “Your fate’s been sealed.” He walked away, leaving the two alone.

Roxas sighed, glad that it had worked. He was sure if he was alone Axel would’ve barged into the shower, clothes and all. He turned around and nearly had his heart jump out of his chest. Sora was staring at him, with a knowing look and a smirk to his lips. Roxas blushed and looked away.

“What?” Roxas said defensively.

“If you want to kiss him, you shouldn’t hold back like that.” Sora said. “It’s bad for your heart. And don’t think you were being sly about that either.”

“This isn’t about me right now!” Roxas said, stepping into the warm jet of water. Sora scoffed as he handed the soap to Roxas. He had found a bottle of liquid soap in Axel’s bag and was using that.

“You feel more aware around him, don’t you.” Sora stated. Roxas blushed even more. Sora chuckled. He didn’t need to hear Roxas verbal respond. His blush said it all.

“It wasn’t like this last season.” Roxas said.

“Maybe it was because it didn’t affect us as much. We weren’t with our mates. But then, Leon and Cid said we didn’t need to worry about finding our mates,” Sora said as he squirted a liberal amount of liquid soap on his chest. “Leon did say I was too young but he’s a blockhead.” He rambled on. Sora watched it drip down before he began rubbing it along his chest and arms.

“He isn’t my…” Roxas faltered. He couldn’t say it. “I mean, a human can’t be my mate, can he?”

“What do you think?” Sora said as he pushed Roxas out of the stream of water. The suds and bubbles on his body washed away.

“Do you think Riku is your mate?”

“Of course!” Sora shouted. Roxas cringed. Sora’s voice echoed throughout the tiled room. Sora clamped his hand over his mouth, suppressing a giggle.

“He’s mine.” Sora went back to washing himself, unaware that Roxas was taken aback. Sora said it with such straight conviction; like he didn’t doubt himself on his relationship with Riku. Whereas Roxas was unsure about his own relationship with Axel.

Two months ago, Sora would’ve hesitated before claiming anyone as his, let alone his mate. Sora hummed happily, as he squirted a handful of shampoo in his hand. He smelled the liquid, pleased by the fruity fragrance.

Roxas couldn’t help but smile. He opened the stall door and grabbed a small stool underneath the towels. He pulled it in and pushed it underneath the cascade of water as he grabbed Sora’s shoulders and pushed him down on it. Sora looked above him at Roxas, confused. Roxas grabbed Sora’s hand, the one with the shampoo, and slapped it down on top of the brunette’s head.

“I’ll wash your hair since you’re short.” Roxas said with a smile. Sora grinned as he lowered his head.

“Finally realizing I’m wise, huh.” Sora said. Roxas smirked as he roughly scrubbed his fingers against Sora’s scalp. Sora laughed, pulling Roxas hand away. Sora looked up at Roxas again.

“I know you love him, Roxas.” Sora said.

“And how do you know that?” Roxas asked.

“I know you.” Sora said. Roxas blushed. He looked down at Sora’s head. Sora grinned as he looked at him. Roxas scowled and scrubbed harder, bending Sora over. Sora laughed, slipping out of Roxas hold. He grabbed the bottle of soap and quickly pivoted to squirt soap on Roxas’s chest. He grinned and pulled Roxas into the jet of water.

“C’mon, get washed!”

\------

Sora grumbled as he stared at the phone. The numbers seemed to taunt him. Riku didn’t say when he would call but Sora was starting to think that he should have. Sora sighed and pushed the phone away from him. A second later, Sora grabbed it and held it close.

Roxas curiously stared at Sora as he kept pushing the phone away then reaching for it. He wasn’t even concentrating on his plate of food, which was strange. Sora usually dropped everything he was doing to eat.

“Sora, what’re you doing?”

“Waiting for Riku.” Sora said as he stared at the phone.

“Where is he?” Roxas asked.

“He said he’s taking exams for his classes.” Sora looked around. Axel was at a vending machine getting candy so they had the table to themselves for a few seconds. Sora scooted closer towards Roxas. He leaned in and whispered in Roxas’s ear.

“I think we’re going to mate later.”

Roxas blushed, jerking his head back. Sora blushed and smiled. He pressed his hand against Roxas’s mouth, silencing him. Axel was starting to walk back.

“Before you say anything, I know what I’m doing.” Sora whispered.

Roxas moved Sora’s hand away. “I wasn’t going to stop you. I mean, are you sure?” Sora nodded.

“Of course I am,” Sora said. “But I’m nervous.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Riku’s human.” Sora said.

“What are you two whispering about?” Axel said, patting Sora’s shoulder. Sora flinched, jerking his head back. Axel grinned, tossing Sora a chocolate bar. He tossed another one to Roxas and sat beside him. “I want to know.”

“You don’t need to know.” Roxas said. Axel grinned as he heavily leaned against Roxas.

“Tell me!” Axel teasingly sang. Roxas blushed, groaning as he tried to push Axel off him. Axel only leaned on Roxas more, loosely wrapping his arms around Roxas’s shoulders. Seeing that Axel wasn’t going to stop, Roxas decided to ignore him. He turned to Sora.

“Has Leon ever told you about it?” Roxas asked.

Sora pouted. “The blockhead wouldn’t tell me.”

“You mean Leon?”

Sora looked behind him, seeing Zexion with Demyx. Sora nodded as he turned around in his seat. “Zexion, what would happen if I mated with Riku?” He asked. At once, Demyx started laughing wildly while Zexion blushed, looking away with an aggravated expression. Roxas gasped, finally pushing Axel off him as he grabbed Sora’s arm and pulled him away from the table.

“What’re you doing?!” Roxas hissed.

“I have a right to know,” Sora said, looking unapologetic. “I know you want to know too, Roxas.” Roxas blushed, his eyes going to Axel before he stared back at Sora.

“You didn’t have to blurt it out like that!”

“But I wanted to know.” Sora said, pouting. Roxas sighed. He scratched his head and finally caved. It was impossible to stay angry at Sora with that apologetic expression on his face. Sora grinned, knowing he had won over Roxas. He grabbed Roxas’s hand and pulled him back to where the others were seated at the table. He sat Roxas down first before he sat down beside him.

“So you want to know about the birds and the bees, huh.” Demyx said as he propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands.

“Oh, so he means sex.” Axel said, finally understanding what Sora and Roxas were talking about. Roxas blushed even more, his whole face a bright red. He would’ve run away if it weren’t for Sora holding him there. Unlike Sora, Roxas had taken lessons about humans so he knew that sex was just another term for mating.

“It is that time after all.” Demyx said.

“What time?”

“It’s when they frolic around with various other merfolk until they find their mate.” Demyx grinned as he leaned towards Axel. “Think of it as if they’re in heat for three month.” Demyx cried out in pain as Zexion pulled Demyx’s head back by his hair.

“What the hell are you trying to say?” Zexion growled. Demyx smiled as he leaned further back and kissed Zexion’s check. Zexion scowled but released his tight grip. Axel looked at Roxas. Roxas noticed his stare and he looked away, his face turning red.

“Nothing special happens,” Zexion said. “The only difference is that the mark won’t appear on you or Riku.”

“It won’t?” Sora said, sounding disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” Demyx asked.

“I want it to appear.” Sora said.

“Why?” Roxas asked.

Sora blushed slightly. “It sounds weird but… I want everyone to know I’m Riku’s and Riku’s mine.”

“Wow, that’s surprisingly romantic when you say it.” Demyx said. He turned towards Zexion, a smile on his face. Zexion narrowed his eyes and shoved his hand on Demyx’s face.

“Don’t you dare.” He threatened. He already knew what Demyx wanted to ask. Demyx grinned as he licked Zexion’s palm. Zexion shivered and withdraw his hand, deciding he should ignore the blond. “Why are you asking?” Zexion asked Sora.

“Well-” Before Sora could answer, his cell phone began vibrating. A light tropical melody rang from the phone and Sora stared at it. The melody reached its final note and played again. Sora grabbed it and flipped the phone open. He pushed the button Riku showed him and pressed the phone against his ear. “Riku?”

“You answered the phone alright.” Riku’s voice said. Sora smiled and he pulled the phone away from his ear.

“It’s Riku’s voice!” Sora said gleefully before he pressed the phone back to his ear. “Riku, you called. Does this mean you’re done?”

“Yeah, the last exam took longer than I thought. I had to take the whole two and half hours to finish.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Sora asked.

“No,” Riku said. “Where are you right now?”

“Outside with Roxas and Axel.” Sora said. Roxas looked at Sora, having heard his name.

“Do you remember that water fountain by the gym?”

“The flower stone? Yeah, I know where it is.” Roxas watched Sora talk into the phone. He glanced at Axel who was gratefully talking to Demyx. All of Sora’s bold talk about mating had the idea stuck in his mind.

It would be their first season and Roxas was curious himself how it would be with Axel. Roxas heart thumped faster inside him. Roxas was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t realize Axel was watching him. Axel grinned as he leaned forward and stole a kiss from Roxas. He pulled back, expecting Roxas to retaliate with a punch or slap. Instead, he saw that Roxas had brought his fingers to his lips.

“You’re not going to hit me?” Axel asked.

Roxas lowered his fingers as he glared at him. “Unless you want me to.” Axel smiled as he leaned even closer.

“In that case…” He grabbed Roxas’s face and kissed him. Roxas raised his hand, ready to beat Axel off when he felt Axel flick his tongue along his bottom lip. Roxas shivered, lowering his hand. Instead, he gripped Axel’s shirt and leaned forward. It felt good, more than good.

“Get a room!” Someone shouted.

Roxas snapped out of it and pushed Axel away. He looked for Sora, ready to deny what was so blatantly obvious when he realized Sora wasn’t at the table anymore. He wasn’t anywhere close by at all. Demyx and Zexion were gone too. He looked back at Axel, puzzlement coloring his face.

“Where did Sora go?” Roxas asked.

“He ran off. He’s probably with Riku by now.”

Roxas bit his bottom lip. Since that kiss, he was suddenly aware of Axel’s every movement. He looked away from Axel, trying to find a place for this new feeling he was aware of. He’s been alone with Axel several times, even sleeping in the same bed as him.

Roxas touched his bottom lip again as he looked up at Axel. The only predominate thought on his mind now was needing to feel good and he knew Axel could do that for him.

“Can we do that again?” He asked. Axel grinned as he grabbed Roxas’s hand. He pulled Roxas away from the table, walking away from the cafeteria.

“Let’s go find a quiet corner then.”

\------

The day was almost over when Riku decided it was time to head for the island. When they had met at the flower-shaped water fountain, Riku took Sora on a date.

It was a day he had planned just the two of them. He shared with Sora all the places he liked to go to, beside the smaller island, when he wanted to be alone. Sora was more than happy. Riku was sharing more of his world with him. Then Riku took Sora to the movies, enjoying his surprised reaction when the theater went dark and the movie started.

“It’s like that TV only bigger! Are you sure this isn’t magic?” Sora had loudly asked, gaining the attentions of nearby people.

After the movie, Riku took Sora to a restaurant because he heard Sora’s stomach growl loudly towards the end of the film. It was an afternoon well spent. Then they headed off to the island.

Riku watched Sora lean over the boat and dip his hand into the cool sea. The water rippled around Sora’s hand, his reflection wavering. The setting sun casted an orange glow on Sora, highlighting his ruffled mahogany hair. A soft smile was playing with Sora’s lips as he stared at the clear water. A fish poked his head out before it dove back down.

“Are we going inside the shack?” Sora asked as they neared the dock. Riku shook his head as he pulled the oar inside the boat. He stood up and grabbed the rope, tossing the looped end to one of the poles. He pulled on the rope, tightening the loop around the pole and he pulled the boat closer to the dock. Sora jumped out as Riku tied the boat to the dock. He grabbed his backpack and pointed to a ladder near a palm tree.

“We’re going on there.” Riku said. Sora looked to where Riku pointed. He stared at the ladder and saw that it led to the wooden platform against the tree. He followed the platform and noticed it winded along the trunk to another wider, open platform. Sora nodded as he followed Riku to the ladder.

Sora kicked off his soaked sneakers on the beach, making a mental note to remember he had to take them off before he jumped into the water. Sora caught up to Riku and stared at the ladder.

“How do I get up?” Sora asked.

“You climb. I’ll climb up after you so don’t worry.” Sora looked up at the ladder again, feeling nervous. He clenched his hands and held on to the bar. “Don’t let me fall, okay.” Sora said.

Riku chuckled. “I won’t.”

“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you.” Sora grumbled as he began climbing. He didn’t dare look down. He concentrated on the rungs underneath his hands and feet, pulling himself up until he finally reached the platform. Sora pushed himself up against the bark of the tree, as far away from the edge as he could. He felt uneasy being high up. Riku reached the platform a second later, noticing the nervous look on Sora’s face.

“You don’t like heights?” Riku asked.

Sora vigorously shook his head. “I’m not meant to be high up.” Riku grinned as he stood up, unperturbed by the height. He held out his hand to Sora who quickly grabbed it.

“Don’t worry. There’s a rail just around the corner.” Riku said. Sora nodded and he shuffled along the trunk. Riku laughed at Sora as he walked past him. Sora stuck his tongue out at him, not letting up until he saw the wooden rail.

Feeling just a bit more confident, Sora moved away from the trunk of the tree but he didn’t attempt to get closer to the ledge. He looked around and, even though he didn’t like heights, the view of the horizon was stunning. The sky was slowly, steadily darkening and the stars were already starting to twinkle.

“Sora.”

Sora turned around, noticing the entrance to the room behind him. He didn’t see it from the ground. He walked in, noticing a large blanket covering the middle of the floor. He kneeled down, running his hand over the blanket. It felt warm and furry under his hand. Sora grinned and pulled his shirt off, throwing himself on the blanket. Riku smiled, tossing his bag aside. Sora rolled onto his back, watching Riku.

“You brought this with you?” Sora asked.

Riku nodded. “You like it more than all the others.”  Sora grinned and he continued to roll around the soft blanket. He stretched out, arching his back. He rested his head on his forearms and from the corner of his eye, he noticed Riku taking off his shirt.

He looked at him, taking in an eyeful of Riku’s torso. Sora blushed but he didn’t look away. Riku could feel Sora’s stare but he kept his back to Sora, letting him think he hadn’t noticed. Sora sat upright, his attention quickly focusing on the moon before he snuck a quick look at Riku again.

“You like the view?”

Sora blushed even more and averted his eyes. Riku smiled as he sat down beside Sora. Sora was very aware of Riku’s body next to him. He wasn’t exactly touching Sora but, to Sora, he might as well have been.

“What happened to all your bravado from this morning?” Riku teased.

“I don’t know.” Sora mumbled. Riku smiled as he leaned against Sora. Sora reached out and grabbed Riku’s hand. Riku raised his hand, kissing the back of Sora’s.

“Riku, I love you.” Sora said, looking at Riku.

“I know.” Riku said.

Sora grinned and he launched himself at Riku, knocking him down on his back and laid on top of him. He simply stared at him but the merman’s gaze made Riku shiver. He was glad that no one else would see that lustful expression on Sora’s face. He slid his hands down Sora’s back, watching him arch at his light touches.

Sora leaned down, kissing Riku. Riku slid his hands further down, slowly dragging his nails up Sora’s back. Sora flinched, a small gasp of a moan escaping his lips.

“By all means, keep on kissing me.” Riku said.

Sora blushed and pouted. “You’re making fun of me.”

“I would never,” Riku said. Sora stuck his tongue out at Riku. He knew sarcasm when he heard it. “I want to see how bold you get before I take charge.” Sora blushed, looking away. He became aware of where Riku’s hands were, on either side of his hips. He sat down on Riku, straddling him.

He kept his hands planted on Riku’s stomach as he felt the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Riku waited. For once, he couldn’t tell what Sora was thinking.

Sora grabbed Riku’s hand and pressed it against his chest. Riku could feel the scar from Leon’s attack. He growled as he remembered the unfortunate attack. Sora gripped Riku’s hand tighter.

“You don’t think this is ugly?” Sora asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Riku ran his hand along it. Sora didn’t say anything. He just watched Riku’s hand as his fingers traced the scar back up to his left shoulder. Riku lifted himself up, shifting Sora back a bit so he could sit upright. He ran a hand along the side of Sora’s face, pushing his fingers back into Sora’s soft hair.

“Do you really want to know?” Riku said.

Sora nodded.

“I think you’re worrying about the wrong thing at the moment.”

Riku kissed him, pulling him closer, not even letting his mind form a single thought. Sora could only react, kissing him back, gripping his hands on Riku’s shoulder.

He slid his hands down Sora’s back, feeling his merman slightly tremble against his touch. Sora broke the kiss, grasping Riku’s face, grinning, as he showered him with soft kisses. He didn’t have to say anything. Sora understood him well enough.

“Now focus all your attention to me.” Riku said, hands trailing down Sora’s stomach. The brunet nodded, feeling Riku’s fingers linger at the top of his pants. He shivered, eyes focused on those hands.

Sora raised his hips, helping Riku take off his shorts. Bare naked, he settled back down, his breathing slightly pitched. He pressed himself closer to Riku, kissing his neck as he felt Riku’s hand on his erect cock. He flinched, Riku’s fingers cold against the skin. But it was quickly heating up.

Yet it wasn’t enough.

“I want more, Riku.”

Riku smirked, “There’s that bravado.”

Sora watched as Riku dug into his pockets, taking out the lube Demyx had given Sora. He watched him as Riku coated his fingers with the gel.

 “Relax.” Riku said as he looked up at Sora. Sora nodded and he watched Riku drag his slick fingers back down his length. Sora trembled, biting his lower lip. He felt Riku’s hands slide across his hips and they parted his cheeks. He wiggled his hips around. The trail of gel was pleasantly heating up; he could feel it especially well on his erection, where Riku’s fingers had been.

Sora moaned softly, feeling Riku’s finger probe against his entrance. He shuddered when he felt a finger slip in. It felt strange but not unpleasant. He gripped Riku’s shoulder, lowering his hips, feeling Riku’s finger delve deeper.

“I’m adding a second finger. Tell me if it hurts.” Riku said, as he pushed the second finger in. Sora whined, pressing his face against Riku’s shoulder. He could Riku’s finger rub inside him, slick fingers prepping him. And it hurt, but he didn’t mind it. The heat from the gel was distracting him from the pain.

Sora writhed in pleasure, shivers jolting up his spine. Riku pulled his fingers out then thrust them back in, hearing that satisfied moan from Sora. He could feel Sora pushing down on his hand, wanting to feel more. Sora kissed Riku’s neck, panting and moaning right next to his ear.

“Just one more.” Riku said as he pulled out his fingers. To his surprise, he felt Sora shake his head. Sora grabbed Riku’s pants, looking at his silver haired human.

“Now, Riku,” He whispered. He ran his fingers through Riku’s hair, giving Riku quick little pecks. “Mate with me now.” He added, begging with his eyes.

Any self control Riku had been trying to keep quickly vanished.

He pushed Sora on to his back, tugging off his pants. He settled himself in between Sora’s parted legs, watching Sora arch off the blanket as their erections rubbed against each other. Despite the cool night or the fact that their little wooden room was door-less, they both felt far from cold.

Sora felt hot to the touch and he was burning inside. Riku coated his erection with the lube, positioning the head of his cock at Sora’s entrance. He looked at Sora and pleasantly shuddered when he saw the lust-filled half-lid expression on the brunet’s face. Sora lifted his hands, pulling Riku’s face down just centimeters from his.

Riku nodded; a silent consent passing between them. He slowly pushed his way into Sora.

Sora gasped as Riku entered him so mercilessly slow. It felt fantastic but Sora didn’t want him to go slow. Close to the point of annoyed, Sora lifted his hips off the blanket, pushing Riku’s length completely in him. He gasped, hands clawing at the blanket underneath him. It hurt, stung, but Sora felt wonderful.

Riku pulled out and thrust back into Sora, harder. Sora moaned loudly, that wonderful heat that was bubbling inside was heating up with every thrust. He kept pace with Riku’s thrusts, feeling Riku delve deeper into him.

They made fierce love together, creating their own bubble of heat and sensual pleasure. With every lick, every kiss, and every thrust, it brought them closer. Sora’s gem faintly glowed as he felt a strange but breathtaking sensation build inside him.

“Riku…” He moaned. “…sitting up….” He wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck, clinging to him. Riku nodded as he lifted Sora up until they were sitting together. Sora gasped, lifting his hips and bringing them back down, riding him. Riku kept his hands on Sora’s waist, trailing kisses down along Sora’s neck.

The way Sora moved his hips, complete control as he kept on riding him, made Riku love his merman even more. He passionately kissed Sora, possessively showing him that Sora was his. Sora moaned into the kiss, writhing on top of Riku as he came. Riku shuddered, feeling Sora inner walls clamp around him, releasing into him.

Sora leaned against Riku, catching his breath as he lazily smiled. He felt so warm, sated and content.

“How do you feel?” Riku asked. Sora smiled and he planted as kiss on Riku. Now that he had a taste of what it meant to mate with his lover, with Riku, Sora didn’t want to stop at just once. His necklace glowed softly as he slyly grinned.

“Can we do it again?” Sora asked, wiggling his hips against Riku’s.

“We have all night.” Riku replied, kissing Sora as he laid him back down on top of the furry blanket, inside their wooden room in the tree, alone on the island with the song of crickets and the island to themselves.


	23. Chapter 23

Sometime in the morning, Sora woke up from a very satisfied sleep.

He yawned, stretching out his sore body. He wasn’t in terrible pain but the faint throb around his hips and legs remained Sora of the pain after he had a good, long swim. It was the good kind of hurt. He smiled as he slowly sat up, yawned again.

Riku wasn’t beside him but he could see a note next to him. Sora stood to his feet as he left the room, not even bothering with putting on his shorts. He shielded his eyes momentarily form the bright morning sun. Once his eyes adjusted, he could see Riku down at the beach, staring at the ocean from the dock.

He walked towards the ladder, climbing back down to solid ground. He crept up to the dock, making sure Riku hadn’t noticed him. Sora grinned as he silently climbed on top of the dock. Riku still hadn’t looked back. With a triumphant smile, Sora ran towards Riku, with the thought of pushing him into the water.

Riku smirked as he side stepped Sora’s push. Sora quickly pivoted and, much to Riku’s surprised, grabbed Riku’s hand. As Sora fell, so did Riku off the dock. They landed with a big splash, Sora laughing at Riku’s surprised expression.

“What’re doing out here?” Sora asked, sitting upright in the shallow water.

“I was going to wash myself but thank you for doing that for me.” Riku said, sitting up as well. Sora smiled.

“Let’s go to the waterfall.” He said, standing up.

“You’re not tired?” Riku asked, standing. He watched Sora literally skip ahead, as if he had a full night of sleep. Sora turned around, slowly walking backwards. Riku could see various red marks he had left on Sora’s body. The most blatantly obvious love mark was on the crook of Sora’s neck and Riku felt particularly proud about that one.

“Tired? We only mated four times.” Sora said as he walked beside Riku.

“Only?” Riku said. He wasn't quite sure if Sora meant he wanted to do it more than four times in one sitting. He recalled Demyx’s words, remembering that he described it as if they were in heat. Sora shyly grabbed Riku’s hand.

“I want to feel closer to you. I’m already sad that the mark won’t appear on us.”

“What mark?”

Sora walked up the short stone steps, walking towards the edge of the small pond. He could feel the spray of the small cascading waterfall. “When we find our mate, our magic combines and a mark appears on our body telling everyone who our mate is. I guess since you don’t possess natural magic, it won’t happen.”

“Mark… Didn’t you say you had one?”

“My Pincoy mark? Yeah, it’s right here.” Sora ran his hand down his abdomen, across his navel. Riku saw a heart-shaped mark appear around Sora’s belly button. There were strange, unreadable, intricate lettering surrounding the heart.

“You can hide it?”

Sora nodded. “Leon said I should practice discretion whenever we used to visit other Kingdoms. It makes things less awkward so I always hide it.”

“Well, don’t hide it anymore.” Riku said. He jumped down into the pond, walking towards the waterfall. Sora furrowed his brow in confusion. He jumped in after Riku, following him.

“Why?” Sora asked.

“I’ll get a tattoo.” Riku said, stepping into the cascade of the waterfall.

“Tattoo? I don’t know what that is.” Sora said. Riku smiled and he pulled him under the cold cascade. He hugged Sora, pushing back Sora’s wet bangs from his forehead, watching curious blue eyes wait for him to answer.

“It means I’m going to have that same mark around my bellybutton as well.” He watched those eyes quickly fill with love and happiness. Sora smiled and he hugged Riku tightly. “What do those words say?”

“It says ‘gifted love-child of the gentle sea’.” He leaned up on his toes and kissed Riku.

\------

Kairi swam through the quiet hallways of the palace.

Naminé was still in a lesson with Cid on advance magic control and Kairi had nothing to do. She sighed of boredom and lazily rolled over to her back, swimming as she stared up at the arched ceiling. She missed Sora. He made the place lively, if not loud.

She raised her arms, forming a little ball of magic in between her hands. She arched her brow as she made the orb denser, pouring more magic into the small sphere. She grinned and tossed the orb, catching it as it fell back.

“I wonder how he’s doing right now.” She said, tossing the orb again and catching it.

“Pincoya!” A guard shouted.

Kairi flinched, losing concentration of the orb as she tossed it. Instead of falling back down, it floated upwards until it hit one of the pillars. Kairi’s face paled and she dove behind another pillar as the orb lit up. She curled up, covering her head with her hands.

A second later, it expanded. Quick rays of magic zigzagged down the pillar and exploded, breaking the pillar into large chunks. The guard gasped as he avoided the falling debris. Sand clouded his vision as more guards came to see what the ruckus was about. When the sand settled, Kairi looked up from her arms and noticed four guards surrounding her.

“Pincoya, what happened?” One of them asked.

“I swear I didn’t do it on purpose! Not like last time! I was bored and uh, Cid said I did need to concentrate on controlling my magic.” She looked around at several stern faces. “I lost concentration for a moment when a guard called out to me and umm, it floated instead of sinking back down, and well, it went boom?”

“Boom?” The head guard asked with an arch brow.

“Yes, boom.” Kairi said. She sighed when they kept on looking at her. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I’m sorry, Pincoya,” He said. “After the last incident, we’ve been told to be weary.”

Kairi grumbled, “Just because I was trying to practice make my orbs denser and happened to blow up the west corridor doesn’t mean I’ll do it again. I didn’t mean to blow it up. I didn’t have much control over my magic.”

“Pincoya, it was more than just the west corridor.”

Kairi blushed and she looked away. “…maybe planting a few of those orbs to better control my concentration around the south corridor really was a bad idea. Can you take me to Cid already to get lectured?”

“Guardian Cid is still teaching the Sirena. I’ll take you to your Guardian.” The head commander ordered his subordinates to clean the debris up and call a magic wielder to fix the pillar. Kairi looked apologetic as she watched the other guards get to work.

“Sorry ‘bout this guys.” She said as she followed the commander. “I really didn’t mean to blow the pillar up.” She said to the commander.

“I understand, Pincoya,” He said with a gentle smile. “We learned it’s better to have you in the company of someone else.”

“You can’t blame me for having little magic control when I was little, Saïx.” Kairi smiled and she swam ahead of him. She knew exactly where Wakka was. She swam to Sora’s garden.

He’s been there every day for the past two weeks. The broken wall made by the orcas was still there. Instead of fixing the whole upper half of the broken wall, the magic wielders decided on reinforcing the barrier. It was a scenic view of the expansive ocean and Kairi was sure Sora would appreciate the view.

Wakka was there, sitting on a large boulder looking out at the ocean. He turned his head, noticing Kairi and Saïx. Kairi shyly waved, swimming towards Wakka.

“What happened now?” Wakka asked. Kairi pouted, pushing Wakka off the boulder. He righted himself and faced Saïx.

“Be easy with her, Wakka. She accidently blew up a pillar.” He said, dropping the formality. Wakka looked behind him at Kairi. She blushed and hid behind the boulder.

“I understand,” Wakka said. “Thanks for bringing her here.” Saïx bowed and left.

“You do know it was an accident, right?” Kairi said, swimming back up to the boulder. Wakka nodded.

“I know you learned your lesson from the last time.” Wakka said. “Y’know, you’re lucky Cid didn’t hear this.”

Kairi nodded, sitting beside Wakka on the boulder. “He would’ve talked my ear off then made me practice my magic until I had better focus.” She shuddered from the thought and turned around. She laid down on the boulder, staring up at the arched ceiling. “I miss Sora. You think he’ll visit?” Kairi asked.

“I have a feeling he will.” Wakka said. Kairi turned towards Wakka, noticing the tension in his voice. She sat upright, shifting back until she sat at the edge of the boulder. Instead of asking, she flipped over and floated in front of him.

“Is there a reason why you’re always here?” She asked.

“I know he can be forgiving but I’m afraid he won’t be able to forgive what I did to him.” He whispered.

Wakka clenched his hands together; refusing to meet Kairi’s questioning eyes. Kairi frowned, concerned about Wakka. He sighed and shook his head, clearing his mind. “Don’t be concerned, ya. Anyway, when was the last time you’ve had your magic flow checked?”

She knew that Wakka was trying to change the subject and she wanted to ask why but she went along with his plan. “A few months ago I think.”

“Turn around.” He said. Kairi grinned and turned around as she felt Wakka place his hands along her spine.

“I think I’ll visit Sora later,” She felt his fingers stiffen for a half a second but it was enough for her to figure out he did something to Sora that he shouldn’t have. His fingers kept probing against her back.

She knew Wakka well, as much as he knew himself. He was her Guardian after all. They’ve been partnered together since she was brought into the Palace as a baby. He might be able to lie as well as Leon and Cid but he was an honest merman. An inkling of an idea strayed into her mind.

She shook her head, trying to dislodge it from her mind but it stuck. There was no way Wakka could’ve done it yet she couldn’t shake the idea.

“Say, how close do you think I am to entering my Grace Period?” She said, hoping her suspicions were wrong. His fingers froze again, for half a second longer. Kairi quickly put one and one together.

She definitely needed to see Sora.

\------

Roxas stared at the ceiling with discomfort. Axel was beside him, his long arm thrown over Roxas’s chest.

The tall human was hugging him in his sleep. He didn’t feel discomfort about being so close to Axel when they were both naked. The snoring wasn’t a problem either. The problem was that he couldn’t _breathe_.

The redheaded lug was hugging him too tightly. Roxas frowned as he tried to pull Axel’s arms away. All he managed to do was push them down from his chest to his waist. Roxas growled. He raised his hand and pinched Axel’s nose close.

Roxas waited. Axel slightly shook his head, his face pinching up. He finally gasped, sitting straight up as he regained his breath.

“Your arm is heavy.” Roxas complained, sitting up. He yawned, glaring at his tall redheaded human. Axel stared at him, the covers barely yet tantalizingly covering up Roxas’s lap. Axel grinned and latched himself to Roxas, pulling the blond back down on the bed. Roxas yelped in surprise but he didn’t struggle against him.

For one thing, he was tired from waking up. He had no desire to fight against Axel so early in the morning. For another, Axel would probably like it.

“You know you’re a complete tease.” Axel said. “We didn’t even get to fuck.”

Roxas blushed, hiding his face from Axel. The few things they did yesterday afternoon were still fresh in his mind. He mumbled and buried his head against Axel’s chest from embarrassment. Axel chuckled and ran his hand through Roxas’s hair.

“It wasn’t so embarrassing, was it?” Axel asked, reading Roxas’s mind completely. “At least I got to finally sleep with you naked.” Roxas grumbled, too embarrassed to lift his head up and voice his insult.

Axel grinned and viciously ruffled Roxas’s hair. That worked. Roxas lifted his head, ready to complain when Axel kissed him; at a perfect moment too as Axel easily slipped his tongue in. He towered over Roxas’s body, keeping Roxas’s head tilted.

Roxas squirmed, gripping the bed sheets in his hands as he crossed his legs. Axel could feel Roxas writhe underneath just from his languid kiss. He stopped, giving his merman a break. He stared down at Roxas, taking in his flushed face, slightly bruised lips, and a tiny trail of salvia at the corner of his mouth.

“It _was_ embarrassing.” Roxas mumbled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“You look quite satisfied.” Axel teased. Roxas growled, suddenly annoyed. He swiftly raised his leg, kicking Axel square in the crotch. He howled in pain, flopping over to the side as he cupped his injured family jewels.

Roxas pointedly looked away, not even feeling a tiny bit of remorse. He climbed out of bed and grabbed one of Axel’s towels from his closet.

“I’m taking a shower.” He said as he left the room. Axel rolled around on the bed, and somewhere nearby a dog heard his high-pitched ‘ok’. When the pain finally dulled, he gingerly rolled out of bed.

“That was a close range-cheap shot,” Axel muttered, sighing. “At least I don’t have to worry about wanting kids…so I guess it’s’ fine.” He slowly stood up, squatting a few times to let his boys relax some more. Tidus, much to his unfortunate horror, walked in. Axel was mid-squat and Tidus got an eyeful of a place he’d never wanted to see in the first place.

He screamed, loud and a bit high-pitched as he quickly closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands though it was too late. The damage was done.

“Oh, god! It burns! What in the hell do you think you’re doing!?! Y’know what, never mind! I want my eye virginity back, you hairy fire hydrant!!!” Tidus yelled.

“Who the hell told you to come in?” Axel calmly said, grabbing an extra towel.

“I wanted to borrow your notes for the psychology class. I have the final for that class later.”

“And your notes?”

“…somewhere. The sight of your balls made me forget.” Tidus said. He shuddered as the image refused to leave his mind. “Are you still squatting?”

“Maybe,” Axel said. “I can rid you of your vision permanently if you want.” He offered. Tidus shook his head and cautiously lowered his hand. He cracked open one eye and thankfully he saw that Axel had wrapped a towel around his waist. He opened his eyes and sat down at Riku’s desk.

“What the hell were you doing?” Tidus asked.

“Recovering from a possible injury that might have left me neutered.” He said. Axel walked over to his desk and grabbed a notebook from the top drawer. “I have these notes but it’ll cost you.”

“Name your price.” Tidus said. Axel thought about it. A brilliant idea passed through his mind. He grinned, worrying Tidus.

“Go check the bathroom right now. Roxas should be there but I want to know if there’s anyone else.” Axel said. Tidus nodded, not wanting to know what Axel was plotting. He left and returned a moment later.

“Roxas is the only one in there.”

“Good.” He turned around and began pulling open drawers. He frowned when he couldn’t find the item he needed. He paused, quickly going through his memory before it hit him. Axel walked across the room to Riku’s desk and pulled open the top drawer. He grinned as he took out a small key.

“I’m going to regret this but what are you planning?” Tidus asked.

“Some fun for Roxas and I.” Axel said. “I knew taking the bathroom key from Marluxia would pay off someday.”

“Doesn’t he have a spare?” Tidus asked.

Axel grinned and pulled out a ring full of keys, giving it a shake. “I’m very thorough. Now then, if you want the notes, make a sign that says the bathroom is out of order. For safe measure, I’ll lock the door on the inside. You spread something about a backed-up toilet or whatever.”

“Alright, I’ll do it.” Tidus said. Axel tossed him the notebook as he took the keys along with him. He left the room, heading to the bathroom. He opened the door and locked it, closing it behind him as he stepped further in. He could hear the sound of running water from a shower stall. He turned the corner and saw Roxas leaning against the shower door, staring him down. Axel smiled as he walked over to Roxas.

“Are you still mad that I keep teasing you?” He asked.

“Of course,” Roxas said, looking away. “You take it too far sometimes.”

“I’m sorry,” Axel said as he walked into the stall, throwing aside his towel. “But I can’t help it.” Roxas backed up against the tile wall, still refusing to meet his eyes.

“Yes, you can.”

Axel shook his head, stepping into the stream of warm water. “Not when it comes to you. I want to tease you relentlessly sometimes.” Roxas blushed and he finally looked up at Axel. His eyes were narrowed, staring him down with shameless want. Roxas felt his body heat up. He wasn’t used to that kind of stare and he wanted to look away but he couldn’t. Those green eyes held him there and Roxas realized he didn’t want to look away.

“W-why are you in here?” Roxas stammered.

“I’m going to tease you some more.” He said with a smile. Before Roxas could protest, Axel pinned Roxas’s hands above his head against the tile wall. A shiver went through Roxas’s body as he stared at Axel. He towered over the blonde but Roxas didn’t feel intimated at all.

It felt as if Axel was blocking the world from him, leaving the two of them alone. Axel smirked as he leaned in. Roxas flinched and closed his eyes. He could feel Axel’s lips against his neck. He slowly opened his eyes. Those eyes were relentless in their gaze and he felt his body temperature rise even more.

“A-Axel, stop staring…” He mumbled. Axel playfully hummed as he pressed another kiss on Roxas’s neck. He didn’t notice Axel’s leg press forward; not until Axel had forced a leg in-between Roxas’s legs. He could see that Roxas was trembling but he wasn’t scared.

Axel was sure if he held a mirror in front of Roxas’s face, he’d be surprised at his own expression. Trembling blue eyes, filled with restrained desire, watched Axel in anticipation. Axel smirked as he released Roxas’s hand and passionately kissed him. He was going to make sure he completely tore down the wall that kept Roxas’s feelings and wants reserved.

“We’re going much further than the small stuff we did yesterday.” He whispered into Roxas’s ear.

With another quick kiss, Axel kneeled in front of Roxas. Roxas stared down at him, confused. He didn’t have to wonder for long as Axel grabbed Roxas’s erect length and gave it a lick from base to tip. Roxas’s knees almost buckled underneath him as he moaned, his whole body tingling.

He panted, staring down at Axel with a flushed face. He clenched his fist tighter as Axel gave him another lick and another pleasurable shiver raced through his body. Axel noticed Roxas was trying to keep his voice hushed and that he was trying to keep his hands to himself. Axel smirked as he grabbed Roxas’s hands and held them in front of his face. He pried Roxas’s hands opened and as he figured Axel noticed small red nail marks on his palms. He kissed Roxas’s palms and looked up at him.

“You’re at your wit’s end, aren’t you?” Axel asked gently. “You don’t have to hold back. I want to hear you moan and you can dig your nails into my skin. I can handle it.” He winked, kissing Roxas’s palm again.

Roxas nodded and he placed his hands on Axel’s shoulder. Axel grinned and he wasted no time. He took hold of Roxas’s length again and gave it another lick. Roxas shuddered then gasped when he felt Axel take in his cock. His knees almost buckled underneath him again as Axel began to suck him.

It was so warm and he was feeling so hot inside. He gripped Axel’s shoulder tighter, moaning and trying to stay on his feet. Axel gripped the base of Roxas’s erection, taking him in further. The pants and moans coming from above were music to his ears but he wanted to hear more. He wanted to make Roxas say his name.

With his fingers already slick from the water, Axel grazed his fingers back until he found what he was looking for. Roxas, too concentrated on Axel’s mouth and flickering tongue, didn’t feel Axel’s fingers behind him until he slipped a finger inside his warm recess. Roxas gasped as he tightened his muscles around Axel’s finger. It felt strange but not bad.

“A-Axel… your finger…” Axel ignored him, continuing on sucking on Roxas while he added another long finger. Roxas moaned loudly, his back arched and voice echoing as Axel began to thrust his fingers into him.

He felt wonderful despite the fact that his knees might fold underneath him. Axel’s tongue was driving him mad. He could feel the effects of what Axel’s tongue was doing to him in throes of pleasure. He panted, concentrating on staying on his feet. He couldn’t hold on for much longer. When Axel’s fingers brushed against something inside him, he completely lost it.

Roxas called out Axel’s name as he climaxed in his mouth, gripping Axel’s shoulder tighter. He finally let his knees buckle, collapsing against the wall. He leaned his head back, breathing hard as he watched Axel lick something white off his lips.

“Doesn’t it feel good not to hold back?” Axel said, kissing Roxas’s open palm. Roxas stared at his hands then at Axel’s. He grabbed Axel’s hand, noticing how large they were compared to his own. He pressed Axel’s hand against his chest, so his human can feel the rapid thumping of his heart. He looked back at Axel and, to his utter surprise, noticed that Axel’s face was red.

As Axel looked at Roxas, the expression he showed Roxas was close to flustered. Roxas reached out and grabbed a length of Axel’s red hair. Without warning he pulled and crashed their lips together. He could feel Axel smirk as he fiercely kissed him back. _Let him smirk_ , Roxas thought. Roxas clung to Axel, aching to breathe but not wanting to stop. Axel pulled away first, licking Roxas’s lips.

“I… I was trying to hold back before.” Roxas said.

“I know.” Axel said, giving him a quick kiss.

“You’re a horrible tease.” He said. That smirk was back on Axel’s face but Roxas didn’t mind for once. He grabbed Axel’s hand but didn’t say anything. Instead he stood up, helping Roxas to his feet as well. He raised his Roxas’s hands to his lips and kissed his palm again. Roxas blushed but he didn’t look away.

Roxas pushed Axel into the stream of water. Instead of Roxas leaning up on his toes, like in the fairy tales, he grabbed a lock of Axel’s hair and yanked his head down by his hair. He kissed Axel underneath the stream of water and stared into his eyes.

“Make me feel hot again.” He said, sounding almost like a demand. Axel smirked. Roxas just annihilated whatever little restrain he himself had. He turned Roxas around and whispered against his ear.

“Brace your hands against the wall.” Roxas shivered and did as Axel said. He stepped towards the tile wall in front of him and braced his hands against it. Axel turned the shower knob, making the water hotter. Roxas was about to look behind him when he felt Axel press himself against his back. He could feel Axel’s hard length against his lower back. He blushed, wondering what Axel was planning.

“Now bend over but keep your hands against the wall.” Axel stepped back and watched as Roxas positioned himself. Axel took a moment to appreciate the view. He swept his feet against Roxas’s feet, spreading his legs apart.

“Axel?” Roxas said. Once again, he felt Axel behind him and felt large hands run up his wet back. He shivered and turned his head to the side as Axel kissed his shoulder.

“Enjoy yourself.” Axel whispered. “I’ll have you screaming my name.”

\------

By the time Riku and Sora returned from their getaway, it was well until the setting afternoon. Sora happily hummed along side Riku; his belly was full and for the moment he was sexually sated. Riku smiled as he watched Sora run ahead of him to the door. It was amazing he even had any energy left at all, considering the amount of times they’ve done it.

Riku was more that satisfied but his hips were throbbing slightly. Sora held the door open as Riku walked in. Sora rushed to the elevator, pushing the up arrow button.

“Doesn’t your body hurt?” Riku asked as the doors opened. Sora stepped in and pushed the 2nd floor button. Riku leaned against the opposite wall as Sora stepped closer to him.

“It does but it’s the good kind of hurt. My muscles ache in the same way when I have a good swim.” The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. Riku walked out, heading for his room.

“You have a monstrous amount of stamina.” Riku said. Sora grinned and he grabbed Riku’s hand, holding him back from opening the door. He pressed his body against Riku’s, pushing him back against the door. He snaked his arms around Riku’s neck, running his fingers through silver hair.

“So do you.” He murmured. Riku grinned as he kissed Sora. For a moment, Riku forgot exactly where he was. The doorknob jiggled and the door flew open behind him. Riku fell in backwards, the back of his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud as Sora landed on top of him. He groaned from the pain and somewhere far off he heard Axel’s rude laughter. Sora rolled off Riku, unharmed, as he sat beside Riku.

“Are you okay?” Sora asked, worried.

“Lightheaded…but fine.” Riku mumbled as he sat upright. Axel safely grinned from his bed, his arms wrapped around Roxas as his shield.

“I’m only keeping the hallways of our institute safe.”

“Then you should be thrown out.” Riku said, ignoring the temptation of throwing something hard at the redhead. He threw himself on his bed and expected Sora to climb beside him. Instead, he heard Sora jump on top of Axel’s bed, sitting in front of Axel since he hadn’t released his hold of Roxas.

“You two mated, didn’t you?” Sora asked. Roxas blushed but he didn’t deny it. Sora smiled and he grabbed Roxas’s hand, completely ignoring Axel. “So, how was it?”

“Sora!” Roxas yelled, his whole face turning as red as a Christmas light. “Axel’s here.”

“So? He’s your mate. It doesn’t matter.” Sora said. “Wait, before you tell me I have to tell you something important.” Sora pushed himself off Axel’s bed and stood up. He pointed to his navel, at his Pincoy mark.

“Didn’t Leon say you should cover it?” Roxas asked, noticing it.

“Leon can go swim in swarm of jellyfish. I don’t care. But that’s not important.” He said. He smiled brightly as he placed his hand against his stomach. “What is important is that Riku is going to get the same mark around his bellybutton.”

“You’re getting a tattoo?” Axel asked.

“Yeah.” Riku said.

“What’s a tattoo?” Roxas asked.

“Riku’s going to get repeatedly stabbed by a needle as it pierces his skin to ink up an everlasting mark on him.” Axel explained, being unhelpful.

“Your mate is insane.” Roxas said to Sora. It sounded painful. Sora turned around, looking at Riku.

“Stabbed?”

“Don’t worry, it’s a tiny needle.” Riku said. Sora hummed thoughtfully, hopping off Axel’s bed and sat beside Riku. He grabbed Sora’s hand and pulled him down on the bed. Sora laughed as Riku trapped him within his arms. They seemed to have completely forgotten about Roxas and Axel. Roxas looked out the window.

The sun was close to setting, the sky steadily getting darker. Axel grabbed one of his spare pillows and threw it at the light switch near the door. The pillow successfully turned off the light. Roxas looked behind him, something of an incredulous expression on his face. Axel grinned and pulled Roxas down, spooning his merman against his body.

“You know you want to.” Axel said, throwing the warm covers over their bodies.

“I didn’t say it.” Roxas mumbled. Axel grinned, kissing his ear. Roxas blushed, ducking his head away from Axel’s lips. “Sora, if you’re not busy tomorrow then we could talk.”

“You promise?” Sora said from Riku’s bed.

“I promise.” Roxas said with a smile.

Sora smiled, snuggling closer to Riku. He felt so warm and relieved and loved. He was even happier that Roxas was with him. He was sure he would’ve gotten lonely even if he was with Riku. Sora began singing.

His voice filled the room with a soft melody as he sang words that only he understood. It didn’t matter that the others couldn’t understand. The feeling was there in his singing. 


	24. Chapter 24

“Love hurts.” Demyx mumbled, taking up all the space on a couch in the lounge room.

Zexion had kicked him out, locking his door and shutting himself away from Demyx for the sake of education. Of course, Zexion himself was going to feel the effect of his self-imposed lock down. After all, the mating season had begun and so far, two days had gone by without either of them having sex with each other.

If it was hurting Demyx, it was absolutely murdering Zexion. Demyx sighed, mindlessly flipping through the channels in the hopes something interesting might pop on.

“Roxas, you promised you’ll tell me!” Sora’s voice echoed in the hallway. Demyx looked at the entrance and spotted Sora and Roxas walking towards the lounge room. The pair hadn’t noticed him.

“When?”

“Two days ago!” Sora yelled. “You said you would! You promised!” He added with a pout. Roxas looked away, his face slightly flushed. He knew he did promise Sora but he was embarrassed. He couldn’t easily tell Sora about his exploits with Axel.

Sora, on the other hand, had no problem telling Roxas. Roxas knew Sora could be bold but he never would’ve guessed he’d be bold enough to want to exchange mating stories. Sora grumbled and jabbed Roxas’s stomach, marching into the lounge room. Roxas winced and rubbed his belly, following the brunet.

“It’s embarrassing, Sora!” He called out.

“Why?” Sora asked, sitting down a plush armchair.

Roxas took the armchair beside Sora. “It’s not a topic humans usually talk about with others.” He said. Sora made a face and stuck his tongue out at Roxas.

“Well it’s a topic we usually talk about. It’s in our nature.”

“How ‘bout telling me?” Demyx said, making his presence known to the two mermen. Sora looked at Demyx as he sat upright.

“Roxas won’t tell me about the things he’s done with Axel.” Sora said to Demyx.

“Sora!” Roxas blushed and lunged for Sora, clamping his hand over Sora’s. Sora grumbled and he pulled Roxas’s hand down.

“Then tell me!” He shouted. Roxas scowled and looked away. Demyx grinned as he turned off the TV; watching the two mermen was much more entertaining.

“I’ll tell you some other time.” Roxas said, looking at the floor instead of Sora. Sora frowned, irritated at Roxas. He planted his hands on Roxas’s chest and pushed with all his might. His aim was to push Roxas off his side of the armchair. He was successful until Roxas grabbed his shirt in retaliation.

Sora gasped and lost his balance, falling in-between the narrow space between the two armchairs.

Roxas laughed as he safely sat down on his own chair. Demyx was howling in laughter; Sora’s leg stuck up in the air, madly waving around as the brunet struggled to fix himself. Sora lowered his legs and crawled out of the space. He growled and in a moment of anger grabbed the bottom of Roxas’s armchair and tipped it backwards. Sora smirked as Roxas’s tumbled backwards with the chair as it landed with a heavy thud.

“This is definitely better than TV.” Demyx said, watching as Sora stood to his feet. Roxas rubbed his sore head, getting to his feet with a groan.

“You’re making a scene.” Roxas said, fixing the armchair back on its’ legs.

“I’ll show you scene…” Sora mumbled, settling back into his own chair with his legs tucked underneath him as he crossed his arms over his chest. Roxas sighed, sitting back down.

Once Sora gets mad, Roxas learned it’s better to wait it out though the time to wait always depended on how stubborn he felt.

“So what’re you two doing here?” Demyx asked.

“ _I’m_ waiting for Riku.” Sora said, stressing his anger at Roxas. “Today’s the last day for his finals and he’s been gone all morning studying.”

“He had to kick you out too, huh?” Demyx asked.

Sora shook his head. “He said I could stay with him but we kept getting distracted. So I left with stubborn over there,” Sora pointed to Roxas. “That way Riku can study but I don’t like it.”

“Of course you don’t.” Demyx said, resting back on the couch. “It’s the mating season so your ‘fuck me’ pheromones are on full blast. It’s the first week too so you must be feeling pretty anxious to get back to him.”

“Fuck me pheromones?”

“Please don’t repeat that.” Roxas said, shaking his head.

Demyx grinned. “Ask Riku when you see him. He’ll tell you.”

“Wait, how did you know I feel anxious?” Sora asked, looking at Demyx.

“Zexion felt anxious the first time he became conscious of the mating season.” Demyx chuckled at a far off memory. “Though the way he showed anxiety wouldn’t be normal for anyone but him.”

“Does it last long?” Sora asked. Talking to Demyx felt like he was talking to another merman.

“The first three weeks are usually rough but as long as you stay close to Riku, it’ll be manageable.” Demyx said.

“You know a lot.” Roxas said.

“Of course,” Demyx said. “My boyfriend’s a merman. I’ll have to be pretty dense not to pick up on a few important things. Zexion made sure of that.” Roxas asked another question but at this point Sora wasn’t listening.

He stared at the floor, thinking about Zexion and Cloud. Since he’d come back, Sora realized he never really talked to them. He had questions, especially for Cloud. Naturally, thinking about Cloud made him think about Leon. Sora pressed his hand against his shirt, feeling the scar underneath. Sora slipped his hand underneath his shirt, feeling the long twisted knob of flesh.

If Sora closed his eyes, he could still clearly see Leon’s horrified expression as he tried to pull back his attack. He hadn’t meant to attack him but Sora was sure Leon hadn’t expected him to block Riku from him. Sora sighed as he rested his head on the arm rest.

“I want to see Leon.” He said.

“Why?”

Sora lifted his head, looking behind him at Riku. Sora smiled and lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Riku’s neck. Riku smiled as Sora kissed him.

“Dear lord, he’s smiling.” Demyx said, covering his eyes. Riku ignored him and focused back on Sora.

“You were saying something?” Riku prompted.

“Nothing at all.” Sora said as he dropped his arm to the side. “Are you done with your tests?”

“The last one is in ten minutes.” Riku said. “It should be quick since it’s the Calculus exam.” Riku walked around and sat down in the same chair, shuffling Sora over so that he sat on his lap.

“Say, Riku, what’re ‘fuck me’ pheromones?” Sora asked, smiling quite innocently. Demyx started laughing loudly, clutching his side. Sora looked at him puzzled, wondering what was funny.

“Remember when I said to ignore all the crap that comes from Axel mouth?” Riku said. Sora nodded. “That applies to the mullet-freak over there.”

“That hurts me dearly, Riku.” Axel said, surprising Roxas by appearing behind his armchair. Roxas looked up, watching Axel stare down at him with a smile.

“You’re done too?” Roxas asked.

“Got one more before this nightmare is over,” Axel said, leaning over the back of the chair, inches away from Roxas’s face.

“How ‘bout a welcome kiss too?” He asked. Roxas blushed and shoved his hands against Axel’s face, pushing him back up and away. Sora chuckled and leaned over the side of the chair, over to Roxas’s side. He grabbed Roxas’s ear and pulled him close.

“You know you want to.” Sora whispered. Roxas blushed even more, proving to Sora that he was right.

“I thought you were mad at me?” He asked, changing the subject. Sora grinned and stuck his tongue out at Roxas before he wiggled back into Riku’s lap.

“Prude.” Sora teased.

“I beg to differ, Sora.” Axel said. He ruffled Roxas’s hair. “He’s actually sexy-aggressive.” Roxas growled, his face as red as it could get as he jumped from his chair.

“I figured you’d be glued to the hips with Zexion.” Riku said.

Demyx shrugged. “So did I. He kicked me out this morning but I know by the time he comes and gets me, the sex is going to be wild.”

Riku sighed, suddenly wanting to burn his brain with bleach. That was an image he didn’t want to ever think about. Demyx smiled as he looked at the entrance of the lounge. Zexion was there with a peeved off look, which was why Demyx said that.

Riku turned his head, noticing Zexion as well. Axel had trapped Roxas in a corner of the room so they hadn’t noticed and Sora was too busy watching them to notice Zexion.

“I think these two want to see you, Sora.” Zexion said as he stepped aside. He ignored Demyx’s teasing stare, deciding he deal with him later.

At hearing his name, Sora turned around and a grin appeared on his face. He scrambled out of the chair, nearly harming Riku in the process. Naminé and Kairi smiled, rushing towards Sora as they hugged. Sora was in near shock as he pulled back and stared at them. They wore their standard clothes attire: a white silk-soft cloth around their waist down to their knees and a longer cloth wrapped across their breasts and around their necks, tied behind to hold it together.

“You’re not supposed here, are you?” Sora asked.

Kairi grinned and pressed a finger against her lips. “Shhh, it took awhile to convince Wakka to take us. Cid and Leon went to another Kingdom for negotiation reasons for the King.”

“Wakka’s here?” Sora asked, looking behind them. He could see his figure standing by the entrance of the building. Students who passed by were giving him a wide birth. Sora smiled and looked back at the girls. Riku watched them talk and he pulled out his cell phone, checking the time. He stood up and looked behind him.

“Axel, stop molesting him. It’s almost time for the exam.” Riku said. He heard a gasp from the corner and ignored it, walking to Sora. He grabbed Sora’s hand, stopping him mid sentence.

“I’ll give you a call when I’m done.” He said. Sora nodded and went to face Naminé and Kairi again but Riku stopped him. He grabbed Sora’s face, kissing him more aggressively than he would have in public.

Naminé and Kairi blushed as they watched. Riku pulled away and smirked, staring at a dazed expression on his merman. “I’ll see you later.” He said. “I’m not covering your ass if you’re late.” He shouted to Axel.

Axel ran after him, saying a quick hello to the girls as he left the room. Roxas joined Sora, his face flushed as well.

Kairi sniggered as she looked at Sora and Roxas. “You both look satisfied.”

“What’re you two doing here?” Roxas asked, fixing and smoothing out his shirt.

“I had a talk with Zexion actually.” Naminé said. “If you’re going to live with your mate, you can’t keep on being dependent on him. He is a human student.” Sora stared at Zexion, wondering when Naminé had talked to him.

“Naminé told me Riku’s pretty well-financed for a human,” Kairi said. Sora nodded, having noticed that as well. He had noticed a few new smaller shirts and pants in Riku’s closet that were meant for him. Sora still looked confused and he began to panic a bit. Naminé noticed and grabbed his hand.

“Don’t worry. No one is dragging you away. We brought you your treasure chest.” She said. Sora eyes widened and he began looking around.

“Let’s go to Riku’s room. He gave you keys, right?” Zexion said. Sora nodded and raced off, taking the stairs. Rushing out the door on the second floor, he spotted Wakka standing by Riku’s door. Sora grinned as he saw his treasure chest by his feet. He rushed to Wakka, greeting him.

“I’m glad to see that you’re well.” Wakka said. “What you did with the orb was dangerous, y’know.”

“I know but everything turned out okay.” Sora said.

He opened the door to the room and Wakka carried his chest into the room. With a heavy thud, Wakka dropped the chest onto the floor. Sora kneeled down in front of it and opened the lid. It was filled with gems and diamonds of various sizes. There were bracelets and necklaces he had savaged for ruined boats.

He smiled as he picked up a sapphire roughly the size of his palm, remembering the trouble he had to go through to find it with Roxas and Leon.

“Sora, why don’t you show Kairi and Naminé around the campus?” Zexion suggested, standing by the door.

“We just got here.” Sora said, putting the stone back in his treasure chest.

“It’s fine.” Zexion said. “I’m sure they didn’t risk visiting you to see a room.”

“Okay.” Sora said, unsure what was going on. He could sense something but the look on Zexion’s face made him hold back his questions. He grabbed Naminé and Kairi’s hand as he led them back out the room. Roxas stared at Zexion, unwilling to move.

“What’s going on?” He asked when he saw that Sora had taken the stairs downstairs.

“Shut the door.” Zexion said. Roxas did, his mind full of questions as the room became uncomfortably silent. Zexion was the only one who didn’t seem uncomfortable. He faced Wakka and Roxas watched. He could feel the tension in the air.

“How _stupid_ can Leon get?!” Zexion shouted, much to the surprise of Roxas. Zexion didn’t look like the type to raise his voice in the library much less yell at someone. “I know that idiot knew about the risks and I’m sure if it were anyone but you, Sora would’ve been seriously injured.”

“He was panicking,” Wakka said. “He didn’t think the girls would escape my barrier or let the others out.”

“He’s a damn reckless idiot.”

“What’re you talking about?” Roxas asked, confused. Zexion kept on insulting Leon. Roxas sighed and looked towards Wakka for an answer.

“Sora entered his Grace Period.” Wakka answered. Roxas’s eyes widened as he looked at him.

“Does…does he know?” He asked. Wakka slowly shook his head. On instinct, Roxas headed towards the door but Zexion blocked his path. Roxas growled and glared up at him.

“Move.” He snarled.

“No,” Zexion said calmly. “Naminé and Kairi already gave me their word that they wouldn’t tell him.”

“Sora has to know!” Roxas yelled. He couldn’t let Sora go on without him realizing what had happened to him. Automatically, his hand went to his side but all he grabbed was air. He wasn’t carrying his blade with him. He backed away from Zexion and held out his arm straight ahead, his left hand gripping his wrist as he held his hand palm forward. Zexion smirked, amusing at Roxas’s attempt.

“Do you honestly think you can win against me using magic?”

Roxas bit his lip. Of course he knew it was hopeless.

Roxas wasn’t any good at magic. He didn’t even have a shred of a chance against Zexion. He lowered his hand in bitter resignation. Roxas sighed, not liking the situation one bit.

\------

Before Sora knew it, the day had sailed by like a breeze. He spent the day whole day with Kairi and Namine. With them, he showed the girls all the places he liked to visit. He knew Kairi would love the arcade and he was right. Of course, people would stare at them where ever they walked. Two barely clothed girls would warrant that kind of attention. Naminé and Kairi were already used to it and after living amongst humans, Sora didn’t mind at all.

It didn’t stop them for catching up with each other and Sora missed the endless chattered he had with them. At some point, Wakka joined them to keep an eye on the girls and Sora and at another point Riku joined. Even though Wakka had warned them numerous and various times throughout the day that they had to leave, Kairi and Naminé didn’t actually leave until the sky was dark and the stars sparkled.

By that time, Sora wished he could make the day longer.

“We’ll have to come back to bring Roxas’s chest as well.” Naminé said. Sora nodded and noticed Naminé step away from him. From behind, Kairi tackled into Sora, sending the both of them into the sand. Sora laughed, wiggling out of her hold.

“Cheer up!” Kairi said with a grin. “I’m sure your mate will make sure you won’t get lonely.”

Sora laughed, getting to his feet as he looked over at Riku. He was standing off to the side, giving him space to say goodbye to Kairi, Naminé and Wakka. Sora smiled and turned back to the girls.

“We’ll see each other soon, right?” He asked. Kairi grinned, lightly bumping her fist against Sora’s shoulder.

“Of course, Cid’s going to no doubt scold us but you know the King loves us. I’m sure we’ll be back soon.”

“Or we can always sneak out again.” Naminé said with side glance to Wakka.

“Don’t mix me in with your plans, you hear?” Wakka said, stepping into the soft crashing waves. “Let’s get going.” Wakka dove into the water, legs replaced by his tail. Naminé and Kairi nodded, trapping Sora in between their hug.

With one last wave, they ran into the water. Sora smiled as he watched the water splashed around them, the moonlight give the tiniest droplet a sparkle. Scales replaced skin and with a final splash they were gone and it was silent. Sora turned and walked back to Riku.

“Are you ready?” He asked. Sora nodded. He grabbed Riku’s hand and they walked along the dirt path that led into town. A soft breeze was blowing through the warm night air. Across the fields, he could see various lights glow, then fade, and flicker back again.

Riku had explained they were fireflies when Sora first saw them. The crickets sang their song as the fireflies danced above them. Sora squeezed Riku’s hand tighter and he pulled Riku away from the dirt path and onto the field. He breathed in the night air and smiled.

“I want to stay and hear their song.” Sora said, running off to the nearest tree. Riku smiled and ran after him.

“Don’t tell me you can understand the crickets too?” Riku teased.

“I like hearing them; it’s pleasant.” He said.

He pulled away from Riku and walked around with his hands in front of them. Riku watched, amused, as Sora tried to catch a firefly. Every time he came close to one, the light would disappear as his hand grabbed air. Riku decided to help before he fell over laughing.

He reached his hand out and Sora watched as he easily grabbed a firefly in between his cupped hands. Sora playfully scowled as he walked over to him. He smiled as he watched the bug light up in Riku’s hand. Sora placed his fingertips near the firefly and it crawled up his finger. The bug lit up once more before it flew away.

“Riku, I want to tell you something.” Sora said, watching the field of flickering bugs.

“What is it?”

“I want to see Leon.” He said, looking directly at Riku.

“Why?” Riku asked.

“He’s my Guardian.” Sora said, rocking back and forth on his heels. “I can’t let things stay as they are between us.” He closely watched Riku, wondering how he would react.

“You can’t.” He said, turning away from Sora as he walked back to the dirt path.

Shaking his initial shock at the answer, Sora ran after Riku. He grabbed Riku’s hand and stopped him, standing in front of his human. The indifferent look in Riku’s eyes told Sora that he didn’t want to talk about Leon. Sora glared at him. Even if Riku didn’t want to talk about Leon, Sora did.

“I have to, Riku.” Sora said. “He’s a jerk, I know, but I want to make him understand!”

“What’s going to stop him from keeping you down there?” Riku asked. Sora grumbled, looking away. He had thought of that possibility but the thought of wanting to see Leon made him overlook that chance. He would risk it if he had too.

“I’m going.” Sora said, making up his mind. “I want to make things right with him.”

Riku sighed, scratching his head. “From what I’ve seen, he looks like he won’t easily be persuaded. I know he must hate me.”

Sora shook his head. “No, I know he doesn’t hate you. I think he’s still caught up with what happened between Cloud and himself. I know I can make him understand but I have to go see him.” Riku stared at Sora, noticing his determination in his eyes.

Riku admired it but at the same time, he didn’t understand why Sora wanted to go see Leon, much less talk to him.

Maybe it was the weariness of the days’ end. The end exams always tended to suck the will out of him. All he wanted to do since he left the examination room was to use Sora as a pillow until the next day but couldn’t since he didn’t want to disrupt the time Sora had with Naminé and Kairi.

Whatever the reason, he couldn’t help but say, “I’m not letting you go.”

“You’re not _letting_ me?” Sora asked, stressing the word. He glared up at Riku, not sure if he wanted to believe it. The tone he used and the stubborn glare reminded him of Leon.

Sora growled as he back away from Riku. He didn’t mind being asked to do something but having someone lay an ultimatum on him was entirely different. There was a fine almost non-existent line drawn between the two but Sora knew when which was being used. He hated it when Leon used it on him and he didn’t like it when Riku said it.

“It’s a stupid idea.” Riku said. He walked towards Sora, grabbing one of Sora’s clenched hand, “Just drop the idea and let’s go back to--” Sora quickly pulled his hand away and in a flash, smacked Riku across the face, stopping him midsentence.

Riku held his hand to his stinging cheek. Completely taken aback, Riku stared back at Sora.

“I’m not dropping the idea.” Sora whispered. He pulled back his hand, pressing his trembling hand against his chest. He was trying to hold back his anger, really trying. “I am not dropping the idea. I _will_ go see Leon whether you like it or not. You can’t tell me what to do!” Sora angrily wiped at his eyes, stopping tears before they could roll down his cheek. “He’s my Guardian. If I want to see him, I will!”

Before Riku had a chance to speak Sora ran away from him.

“Sora!” Riku ran after him as Sora headed back towards the shore. Sora splashed through the shallow water, using his magic to tear the clothes off his body. Riku ran through the water, getting soaked as he helplessly watched Sora dive into the water and disappear. Waist deep in water, Riku watched the surface, hoping Sora would surface again. He didn’t. Riku slammed his fist against the water in anger.

“Shit.”

\------

Sora didn’t surface for awhile. He aimlessly swam around, long enough to make sure that Riku wouldn’t be around, and kept his mind carefully blank.

He didn’t want to think about Riku or Leon. He didn’t want to worry about fixing his relationship with Leon or clearing up the misunderstanding. Riku wouldn’t really understand his distaste for commands since he’d never explained it to Riku. And it wasn’t like he was going to see Leon right that moment.

He wasn’t even mentally prepared. Sora sighed as he turned over to his back. He stared at the surface above him and raised his hand. He created a small orb of magic in his palm. It thinned out until Sora had it circling around his body. He flipped over and swam towards the surface. He swam to the shore, turning his tail into legs as he neared shallow waters.

“I probably shouldn’t have torn my clothes like that.” He said. He sat down in the shallow water and touched his necklace. He pushed thoughts of Riku and Leon away as he concentrated on his magic.

Since he was alone, he figured it was a perfect chance to check his magic. It had felt strange ever since he woke up from hours of releasing excess magic the night of the rescue. He never had a chance to look more into it since then. He figured it was just a result of that. Sora closed his eyes as he concentrated on his magic inside him. He frowned as he felt something different about his magic. He opened his eyes and pondered.

Normally, when he self-checked his magic, he’d get the feeling of a soft pressure surging through him. There were days when the pressure was more than slight but once he’d sing into a crystal it usually returned to normal.

It was different now.

His magic felt unusually calm. His singing the other night was different too. Sora furrowed his brow in thought. Something was amiss. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on his body once more. He wasn’t realizing something important. Sora grumbled in frustration as he opened his eyes. There was something familiar about the feeling.

He remembered the strange feeling from Leon once; nearly five years ago.

> _“Leon! Let me try at least!” Sora smiled as he swam around Leon. Leon, doing his round of patrolling the surrounding city, was having a tough time keeping an eye on Sora. He kept swimming behind him then back in his line of vision before he swam right back behind him._
> 
> _Sora knew Leon preferred keeping his eye on him but he wanted Leon to notice him. Sora grinned as he realized that he was gradually wearing Leon down. He swam close to Leon and delivered his final blow._
> 
> _Sora floated in front of Leon and pleaded with his large bright blue eyes. “Please?”_
> 
> _Leon would have to be cold-hearted to say no to face like his. He looked away but sighed. He knew when he was defeated. He swam over the nearest rock formation and sat down on a boulder jutting out._
> 
> _“Alright.”_
> 
> _“Yes!” Sora giddily swam over to Leon, sitting behind Leon as he placed his hands against Leon’s back._
> 
> _“You remember what to do?” Leon asked._
> 
> _“Yeah, Cid made sure I had it memorized and he did say I would need practice.” Sora said._
> 
> _“Which I’m sure he didn’t mean me specifically.” Leon said. Sora smiled as he patted Leon’s back._
> 
> _“It’ll be quick.” He said. He closed his eyes as he concentrated on feeling Leon’s magic. It was an exploratory search. He wasn’t searching for anything specific, only a general feel. Sora was trying to familiarize himself on how it’s supposed to feel. He could feel an immediate difference between his own magic and Leon’s. Sora pulled his fingers away and swam around Leon, facing him. “Why does your magic feel different?”_
> 
> _“Yours’ feels like a surge, doesn’t it?” Leon asked as he swam off. Sora nodded, following him. “When you enter your Grace Period, it’ll be much calmer and your need to sing won’t be as often. It’ll also take awhile for your magic to reach that point again compared to normal merfolk.”_
> 
> _“Hmmm. So my magic is going to have that same airy feel it has when I enter my Grace Period?”_
> 
> _“Pretty much,” Leon said. “Remember that it’ll feel different but you’ll still feel that same airiness in yourself but it’s about the same.” Sora pondered that idea. He honestly couldn’t imagine a day when that’ll happen._
> 
> _Leon told him he still had several more years before he matured enough to enter his Grace Period. It was still a long way off._

That’s why it was so familiarly strange. Feeling Leon’s magic while he was in his Grace Period felt almost exactly as his own magic now. Sora smiled, glad that he finally figured out what was strange.

He was only in his Grace Period. There was nothing seriously wrong with him. Sora smiled as he stood up. The mystery to the strange feel behind his magic was solved. Sora stretched his hands above his head, arching his back.

“I feel relieved that it is only…”

Sora’s heart skipped several heart beats.

The air around him suddenly dropped several degrees and he felt cold despite the warm night air. He lowered his arms, trying to keep himself from panicking. He could be wrong. Maybe he sensed his own magic wrong.

Sora shook his head, cleared his mind and closed his eyes. He concentrated on his magic, hoping that he wouldn’t feel that calm sense of airiness from his magic. Instead of his once familiar pressure, it was gone, replaced by the calm sense of magic in him.

Panic crept into his heart, seizing him completely.

Sora ran, away from the shore and along the dirt path into town. His instincts told him to find Riku but as soon as that thought registered into his active mind, he stopped. He couldn’t go see Riku, not now when he realized what had happened to him. He walked until he couldn’t see the shore behind him.

He focused solely on walking away, keeping his mind carefully blank of any thought other than the fact that he could be wrong.

Sora fell to his knees, exhausted near the outskirts of town, wrapping his arms around his body. He didn’t know what to do. He was barely managing to hold back the sense of hopelessness that was threatening to overcome him.

His legs were covered in small scratches from running into trees and falling several times. Sora shook his head and he wearily lifted himself to his sore feet. He had to keep moving even if he wasn’t going to find Riku.

For once in his lifetime, Sora didn’t want to be near the ocean. He continued on walking along the path, holding on to the single thought that maybe he felt it wrong. After all, it’s been a while since he self-checked his magic so he could’ve made a mistake. Yet a tiny voice in his mind screamed at him, shouting that he wasn’t mistaken.

Sora vigorously shook his head until he couldn’t hear his thoughts. He had to hold onto his single, fragile strand of a thought that he was wrong.

“I’ll be fine. I just sensed it wrong. I haven’t really…”

“Sora?”

Sora looked up from the ground. Cloud was there, looking at him with a concerned expression. Who wouldn’t be?

Sora was shivering, naked, scratches all over his legs. Cloud noticed that Sora was tightly gripping himself, his nails digging into his arms. He had a panicked look in his eyes as Sora continued to stare at Cloud.

Further ahead, behind Cloud, Sora noticed a curtain of silver hair framing a handsome face. Cool green eyes started at him, almost expressionless. It didn’t bother Sora; what held his attention was the curtain of silver softly billowing in the night breeze. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about Riku and, in turn, their relationship. Sora’s face crumpled, a pained expression settling on his face as his tiny strand of hope snapped.

He ran towards Cloud, tripping over his feet as he clung to the former Pincoy.

Sora screamed, tears rolling down his cheek as he let out his frustrations; the hopelessness that he’d been trying to fend off, his argument with Riku and his suddenly unstable relationship with Leon.

Everything that had been bottled up, smashed open by the fact that he stopped aging, transformed into a ragged, hoarse, and desperate scream as he clung to Cloud, his tears staining Cloud’s shirt. 

Cloud waited patiently until Sora’s throat became too sore to scream, until he couldn’t cry anymore, until he became too exhausted to even stay awake. Cloud held onto Sora to keep him from falling on the ground as Sephiroth came to his side. Sephiroth stepped in front of Cloud and carried the small brunet in his arm.

“How did you know he was here?” Sephiroth asked.

“I might not be a Pincoy anymore but I could feel his distress.” Cloud said, staring at Sora’s tear-stained face.

“Are we still going to Radiant Garden?” Sephiroth asked.

Their car was parked just a few yards away on the road. Cloud nodded as they walked. He looked at Sora’s arm, noticing the angry red nail marks embedded into his skin while he was holding himself together.

Cloud ran ahead, opening the back seat for Sephiroth. He reached back and grabbed a spare blanket he kept back there. As Sephiroth laid Sora down, Cloud covered him with the blanket. Sephiroth sat in the drivers’ seat and started the car, turning on the heater for Sora. Cloud closed the back door and climbed onto the passenger seat.

“This feels like a kidnapping.” Sephiroth said. Cloud chuckled as Sephiroth began driving away.

“Like you would feel any qualms about that,” Cloud said. Sephiroth smirked, not deny it. “Besides, I think it’ll be good for Sora to get away from the ocean for a few days.


	25. Chapter 25

> _On Cid’s recommendation to the King, Leon became Sora’s Guardian._
> 
> _It would be his first time meeting Sora so he was taken to Sora’s room. Sora, almost a year old, was in the arms of one of his nannies. His nannies weren’t ordinary nannies. They were trained to handle Sora if his magic ever got out of control; their skills were on par with Wakka’s yet they still weren’t enough._
> 
> _At that age, Sora had absolutely no control over his growing magic._
> 
> _Sora swam around her, smiling as he laughed whenever his nanny reached out and grabbed him. He giggled as he wiggled out of her hold and swam out of her reach. He darted around her again and when she caught him again, he squealed and wrapped his small arms around her neck, affectionately rubbing his face against her neck._
> 
> _Leon watched as the nanny smiled. She pushed back Sora’s unruly hair from his eyes and tapped his nose._
> 
> _“We might need to cut your hair again. It’s grown long again.” She said. Sora shook his head and pulled away, covering his head with his arms. The mermaid laughed softly as she reached out and pulled down Sora’s arms. “Alright, we’ll keep it long for now.”_
> 
> _Sora smiled and spoke; only Leon couldn’t understand him. It took a good minute to realize Sora was speaking in the ancient language. His nanny nodded and held out her hand, sticking her pinkie out. “It’s a promise then. We’ll wait until it’s grown longer than your body.”_
> 
> _Sora giggled and he settled into the arms of his nanny, grabbing her arm as he played with her fingers. Leon swam into the room, getting the attention of Sora and his nanny. Sora, alerted now, stared at Leon with his large blue questioning eyes. His nanny smiled and she released her hold on Sora. Sora looked up at her, anxiety filling up his eyes._
> 
> _“It’s okay, Sora.” She said. “He’s your Guardian.”_
> 
> _Sora nodded and he carefully swam away from her arms. Leon stayed still as he watched Sora slowly swim towards him. He swam around Leon, as if he was examining his appearance. Leon looked at the nanny with a slightly exasperated expression. She laughed, watching with much amusement._
> 
> _“He’s a peculiar one.” She said._
> 
> _Sora swam back around, sticking her tongue out her. He turned back to Leon, focusing his inquiring eyes on him again. Leon stared back at him, wondering what he was doing. Sora swam up to him until he was at eye-level with Leon._
> 
> _With his small hands, he reached out and touched the scar across Leon’s nose. He spoke but Leon didn’t understand him. Leon looked around Sora, to the nanny. She shook her head and continued on watching. Leon sighed as he looked back at Sora._
> 
> _He smiled and swam away from Leon. He grabbed his nanny’s hand and began speaking quickly. She nodded and Sora hurried back to Leon._
> 
> _As he floated in front of Leon, Sora held out his hand. Leon looked at his small hand. Not sure what was going on, he held out his own hand. Sora smiled and he placed his hand in Leon’s. The difference in size was glaringly obvious. He closed his hand around Sora’s hand and he looked at the tiny brunet._
> 
> _“Are you Sora’s Guardian?” Sora spoke and this time Leon could understand him. His eyes widened and, once again, he looked back at the nanny._
> 
> _“Explanation, right?” She said, smiling. “Besides the fact that that’s the way he’s been communicating with others for the past four months, there is none. He’s too young to consciously control his magic. I think the magic might react to his subconscious thought until he’s old enough to willfully control it. Nothing is impossible for him at the moment.” Leon looked back Sora, still waiting for his answer._
> 
> _“I am.” Leon said. Sora smiled, radiating complete trust. He pulled his hand away from Leon’s._
> 
> _“Leon.” Sora spoke out loud. The nanny smiled as she watched an awkward Leon interact with Sora. She swam towards the awkward couple. Sora turned around as he sensed her. She gently patted his head._
> 
> _“Take good care of each other,” She said. Sora worriedly stared at his nanny. Her words sounded like a farewell. He touched her hand and spoke, speaking in the ancient language again. She shook her head._
> 
> _“I’ll still be your nanny, Sora.” She grabbed Sora’s hand and placed it on Leon’s cheek. Sora looked at him with his large eyes. Leon blushed slightly, unaccustomed to his stares. “But he’s your Guardian, your family, friend and loved one.” Sora nodded, a bit reluctantly then he watched as she swam away. Leon stared at Sora, unsure what to do._
> 
> _“What do I do now?” Leon said as he stared at his new charge. Sora grinned and he pulled his hand away from Leon’s face._
> 
> _“Leon is Sora’s?” He asked._
> 
> _Leon could tell it took effort for Sora to talk in the common language. He didn’t understand why Sora took the extra measure to talk to him in his normal voice rather than the other way he communicated with his nanny. Being Cloud’s Guardian didn’t leave him with much experience on how to handle kids._
> 
> _Looking at Sora’s expectant expression, he couldn’t help but smile. Sora smiled back, taking it as a yes. To him, smiles always meant yes._
> 
> _“What do you want to do now?” He asked. Sora beamed as he touched Leon’s arm._
> 
> _“Play!” He spoke then darted away from Leon._
> 
> _Leon chuckled as he swam after him. Later on, Leon realized that play for Sora meant running away until Leon had to use extreme measure to catch up to him, which for some reason amused Sora._
> 
> _\------_
> 
> _Since then, Sora rarely left Leon’s side. It was only when he had errands to do in a different Kingdom were the only times Sora couldn’t follow him. He had Namine and Kairi along with Wakka to help the hours go by faster but whenever Leon arrived, as soon as Sora felt Leon’s presence, he would immediately drop everything to go to him._
> 
> _Usually his tutors didn’t mind Sora leaving lessons whenever Leon came back from a job until he turned five. By five years old, Sora had little to no control of his magic and it always reacted to his mood. Leon had learned all of Sora’s habits and strange quirks during their time together and whenever Sora seemed on the verge of hurting himself by accident, and on purpose, building up his magic, Leon was the first to be called._
> 
> _Without a doubt, Leon could always calm Sora down._
> 
> _“Hurry it up, Squall!” Cid shouted, swimming quickly ahead of Leon. Leon sighed; he didn’t need to be told to hurry. He could sense the unbalance of magic in the water. It was a tremendous force and if Leon didn’t already know where it was coming from, he’d assume it was from a skilled merman._
> 
> _Sometimes it surprised him that it was coming from a five-year old Sora. Cloud’s magic was nowhere near as wild as Sora’s._
> 
> _They rounded the corner, swimming towards Sora’s room. Several mermaids were floating by the entrance, too scared to enter Sora’s room. When they spotted Leon, he could feel them visibly relax. Leon sighed once more as he swam into Sora’s room._
> 
> _“What’re you doing, Sora?” He asked._
> 
> _Sora looked behind him, smiling widely as he looked at Leon. He pushed himself off the ground, losing the concentration he had on building up his magic, as he swam towards Leon. He latched his arms around Leon’s neck, grinning and playfully swishing his tail around._
> 
> _“I missed you.” Sora said. “I didn’t know where you went.”_
> 
> _“I was only gone for a few hours.” Leon said. Sora pouted and drifted away from him._
> 
> _“Five hours is not a few.” He said. Leon sighed and turned away, swimming back to the entrance. Sora panicked and quickly swam to him, tackling into him as he clung to Leon’s back. “Okay, I’m sorry!”_
> 
> _“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” Leon said as he pointed to Sora’s nannies by the entrance. Sora nodded, letting go of Leon as he swam around him to the entrance. He fidgeted as he bowed._
> 
> _“I’m sorry I misbehaved,” Sora said, blue eyes sparkling with sincere remorse. “Really, I am.” His nannies couldn’t say no to a sweet face like his._
> 
> _“It’s alright, Pincoy,” One of them said. “Leon’s here and we know how you’ve been waiting for him to return.” She swam towards Sora and patted his head. “We’ll see you later, dear.” Sora nodded and his three nannies left together. Sora turned back around and swam towards Leon, an apologetic expression still on his face._
> 
> _“That face won’t work on me.” Leon said, well used to his tricks. Sora grinned and stuck his tongue out at him. “You know doing that is dangerous for you.”_
> 
> _“It’s not like I was doing that on purpose. I didn’t know where you were, you didn’t say anything, and I was getting nervous and well…” Sora stopped, feeling Leon’s hand on his head. He grabbed Leon’s arm and pulled it away, looking up at his Guardian._
> 
> _“Alright, I understand.” Leon said. “You’ll talk your tongue off if I don’t stop you at some point.” Sora giggled. He grabbed Leon’s arm, holding onto his large hand. Having Leon close to him always made him feel secure and relaxed. He wanted to go see Roxas now but he wanted to be with Leon for awhile longer._
> 
> _“The dolphins. I want to see them.”_

\------

“I think you’re the one in heat.” Roxas mumbled, glaring behind him at a blissfully happy Axel. Axel kept on smiling, planting small kisses along the back of Roxas’s neck. They were in the showers again, the doors looked and the stalls empty except for the two of them. Roxas sighed as he faced the tile wall.

With Axel busy kissing his neck, Roxas slyly slid his hand down to the shower knob. “Hurry up and get outta me!” Roxas yelled as he turned the knob towards the cold side. A cascade of freezing cold water fell on Axel. Axel yelled in surprise stepping away from the cold water and Roxas. The blond smirked as he finally turned around.

“You could’ve politely asked.” Axel said.

“Would you have listened?”

“No.” Axel said quite bluntly. Despite himself, Roxas smiled and he turned the knob to a hotter setting. He cleaned himself while fighting off Axel’s further advances.

He was concerned about Sora and he wanted to find him. Even though Zexion had said he shouldn’t, Roxas couldn’t keep quiet about something that huge happening to Sora that he himself didn’t know. He did agree with Zexion when he said it was better for Sora to figure it out on his own but at the same time, considering the situation and knowing Sora, he probably would’ve wanted to be told.

Roxas sighed, shaking his head as he turned the shower off. One thing he knew was going to be difficult to tell was telling Sora it was Wakka who forced him into his Grace Period without his knowing. Roxas grabbed Axel’s towel and dried himself before he pulled on his pants.

“What’s the hurry?” Axel asked, slipping on his own pants.

“I want to talk to Sora.” Roxas said, walking out of the bathroom. Axel followed right behind him, sensing there was more than just wanting to talk. Roxas walked into the room, finding Riku lying on his bed. Roxas looked around but Sora wasn’t with him.

“Where’s Sora?” Roxas asked.

“…I don’t know.” Riku answered. Quickly become confused, Roxas walked further into the room and stood in front of Riku’s bed.

“What do you mean?” Roxas asked.

“We had an argument. He ran off into the ocean. I waited for an hour before I came back.” Riku said.

“About what?”

“Does it matter?” Riku said, looking away from Roxas. Roxas growled, fighting back a very appealing urge to punch him.

“I need to talk to Sora.” Roxas said. “What did you two fight about?”

“Sora wanted to see Leon. I told him he shouldn’t, considering the amount of trouble that guy went through to keep us apart. I told him he can’t see him then Sora suddenly smacked me and ran into the ocean.” He heard Axel chuckle, probably from the fact that Sora had smacked him. Roxas sighed, walking to Axel’s bed as he sat on it.

“You’re a damn idiot.” Roxas said. Riku sat upright, glaring at Roxas.

“What the hell did you say?”

“You should’ve stayed there until he surfaced again!” Roxas yelled, getting to his feet. “He can’t be alone at the moment. You should’ve gone along with what he was saying. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t planning on going alone.” Axel reached over and grabbed Roxas’s arm, pulling back. It looked like he was ready to fight Riku.

“Calm down, Roxy.” Axel said. Roxas let out a frustrated sigh, letting Axel pull him back. “What’re you not telling us?”

“Riku, you have to understand something.” Roxas said, ignoring Axel’s question. “Leon is more than just a Guardian to Sora. He’s family as well; like a father and a brother. He’s a friend. Everything.”

“Doesn’t he have his own family?” Riku asked. Roxas bit bottom lip, looking away.

“His birth mother…but I‘m not telling you anymore,” Roxas said. “The important fact is that Leon is important to Sora. You’re stupid if you thought you were done with him. Eventually, Sora would’ve wanted to see Leon again, to get him to like you.”

“Alright, fine, I understand,” Riku said. “Sora wants Leon’s approval.”

Roxas sighed, wishing Axel wasn’t holding him back. At least Riku understood that much. Now for the hard part. “There’s one more thing you should now, Riku. Sora… He was forced into his Grace Period.”

“You mean…”

Roxas didn’t want to but he nodded. “He’s stopped aging and Sora doesn’t know it.”

The first thought that passed through his mind was that Roxas was lying. There was no way that Sora had entered his Grace Period. He didn’t want to believe it but Roxas didn’t look like he was joking around.

Roxas pulled Axel’s hands away from his waist. He went over to Axel’s closet and pulled out his soft cloth from underneath a pile Axel’s shirt. He pulled down his pants and kicked them off, wrapping the cloth around him. He tied it on one side and went rummaging through again until he found his belt.

He clipped it on and walked over to Axel’s desk, grabbing his blade propped against it as he clipped it on his belt. He missed the familiar weight by his side.

“Stop mulling shit over,” Roxas said, standing by the door. He looked at Riku, glaring rather than staring. Axel grabbed his chakrams, standing beside Roxas. “If you’re sorry, then get up and look for Sora.”

Roxas opened the door and walked out, Axel right behind him, leaving Riku to his own thoughts.

\------

Wrapped in a warm blanket, almost to the point of being cocooned, Sora woke up.

He touched the corners of his eyes, finding them wet. He had no doubt in his mind that they were red. Sora sighed as he curled up tighter. It usually took Sora a moment to recall the previous day, he wasn’t much of a morning person, but there was no forgetting last night’s memories.

His throat felt raw as he gulped, fighting back a sudden desire to scream again. He needed a distraction. He couldn’t keep on staring at the wall blankly. Sora pulled the covers off, a draft of cold breeze quickly cooling down his body. He climbed out of bed, his feet touching the soft carpet floor. He wiggled his toes and stood up, looking around the room.

The only real large thing in the room was the metal framed bed Sora was previously on. There were a few chestnut drawers and a vanity table behind him. Sora walked to the window at the other side of the room. He pulled back the curtain as sunlight flooded the dark room. He shielded his eyes, slowly blinking until his eyes adjusted.

Outside, he saw many buildings and they were all close together, unlike the main island’s town. There were a lot more car horns and noise from the streets below. Sora moved away, letting the drapes fall back into place as the bedroom was once again dark. Done with the room, Sora headed towards the door and to the hallway.

He looked around and heard noises coming from his right. Heading that way, the hallway lead to the kitchen. The noises were the sound of cooking.

Cloud was at the stove with various frying pans in front of him. Sora peeked around the corner, staring at Cloud until he noticed him staring. Cloud chuckled as he placed the spatula he was holding on the counter beside the stove.

“How do you feel?” He asked.

Sora shrugged, looking down at the floor. “I don’t know.” Cloud nodded, walking to Sora. He opened a door beside the brunet and rummaged through until he found a white button-down shirt that belonged to Sephiroth. He handed it to Sora and headed back to the stove as Sora pulled on the shirt. It was long enough to reach down to his thighs. Sora buttoned the shirt halfway and pulled the sleeves back as they fell over his hands.

“Where am I?” Sora asked.

“Radiant Garden, the closest city to Destiny Island,” Cloud said. He stirred the fry, adding salt and other ingredients. “Sephiroth and I usually come here to his flat for a few days to get away.” Sora nodded, walking towards the couch as he sat down, pulling his legs up and wrapping his arms around his knees.

“Are we far from there?” Sora asked.

“Considerably far.” Cloud said, understanding his meaning; they were too far away for Sora to simply leave. Sora sighed, closing his eyes.

There was no distraction in the world that could make him forget the horrifying fact that he stopped aging; that he had somehow entered his Grace Period. He bit his bottom lip as he held back an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.

Sora felt absolutely miserable. What he wouldn’t give to go back in time and not argue with Riku; at least that particular issue wouldn’t have been a problem. Then Sora would’ve had a shoulder to cry on. He sighed shakily, gathering every ounce of will power not to break down.

“Cloud… I don’t know what to do…” Sora said softly.

“What happened last night?” He asked.

“Leon. I told him I wanted to go visit him so I can make him understand about Riku and me. I think Riku thought I wanted to go see him right at that moment. He doesn’t like Leon and I understand but he’s my Guardian. We’ve been together since I was little. He’s important to me. Riku doesn’t understand our relationship.” He stretched out his legs on the couch, resting his head on the couch’s armrest. He stared at the ceiling, wishing he could keep his mind blank.

“Most humans wouldn’t,” Cloud said. “It’s one of those things that can’t be described in a few simple words.” Sora nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

During the argument, he had tried to come up with the right words so Riku could understand but none had popped into mind. Or it could be that he was too caught in the argument to think of a few words.

“Then he said he wasn’t _letting_ me go.” Sora said.

He lifted his right hand, the same palm that had smacked Riku last night. “I’m not good with taking orders like that. I’d except it from Leon when he’s mad at me or something but not from Riku…” Sora turned to his side and he stared at the window on the other end of the room. Sunlight streamed in and he could hear faint noises of a clustered city below.

“After that?” Prompted Cloud.

“I ran away into the sea and waited until I was sure Riku wouldn’t be there. He was gone by the time I surfaced again and I figured it was a good as any time to check my magic ‘cause it felt weird ever since I came back from the Kingdom.” The panic he had managed to stall was inching closer to his heart. “I don’t even know how I could’ve…” He let the sentence drop, letting his hand flop to his side as he stared at the wall.

Cloud kept quiet as he turned the stove off. Sora wasn’t in any position to know Wakka was the one who forced him into his Grace Period. It would completely devastate him. For now, Cloud was more concerned with just having Sora regain a stable mind again.

“Try and relax for now, Sora.” Cloud said as he prepared three plates of food. “You’re probably hungry so go sit over at the table so you can eat.” Sora nodded, sitting up. He got to his feet as the door opened and Sephiroth walked in. He shrugged off his jacket, tossing it on a nearby chair.

“I think tonight we should go see to the movies.” Sephiroth said, walking past Sora. Cloud chuckled as he felt Sephiroth stand behind him.

“I’m well used to movies already. I’m not easily impressed by them.” Cloud said. Sephiroth smirked as he wrapped his arms around Cloud’s waist.

“It’s a horror film.” He whispered against Cloud’s ear. Cloud shuddered, remembering the first and only time Sephiroth had taken him to see a horror film without his knowing. Sephiroth had thoroughly enjoyed himself much to Cloud’s expense.

“Pure sadist.” Cloud mumbled. He slipped out of Sephiroth’s arm and carried their plates to the table. As he went back for the Sora’s plate, a sudden scream from Sora startled him.

Sora was crouched on the ground, his hands covering his face as he screamed again. Ever since Sephiroth walked into the room, he seemed frozen to the spot he stood. Sephiroth’s curtain of silver hair reminded Sora of Riku.

The tears quickly followed suit as a torrent of thoughts had invaded his mind. The most prominent and taunting was the voice of reason that said he couldn’t stay with Riku.

If only he wasn’t a merman, if only wasn’t the Pincoy, if only he could’ve prevented his Grace Period, even though he didn’t know how it happened. There were so many ifs and possibilities and nothing that could be done about it. Cloud kneeled beside Sora, placing his hand on Sora’s back. Sora flinched, no longer screaming but still crying.

If only he wasn’t the Pincoy, Sora realized he wouldn’t be going through this degree of hurt. He wouldn’t be miles away from Riku, they wouldn’t have fought and he would still be with him. In his arms, being held, being loved.

Still crouched on the floor, Sora’s hand slide down his face, his fingers settling on his throat as he wished he wasn’t the Pincoy. He wished he couldn’t sing, despite how much he loved the ocean, his home, he truly wished he wasn’t the Pincoy. Cloud, not noticing where Sora’s hands were, waited for him to calm down. Sora had stopped screaming and he seemed to have stopped crying too but he was still crouched on the floor, hiding his face.

Sephiroth stood by the table, watching the small brunet and he noticed the small and almost undetectable movement of his arms. In three long strides, he reached Sora and grabbed his arm as he hauled him to his feet.

Cloud’s eyes widened. Sora’s fingertips were bloody. His throat scratched and raw, with a few deep cuts Sora had managed to make. Sora screamed, struggling against Sephiroth until he had decided to use his other hand. Sephiroth grabbed Sora’s other hand, holding them tightly as Sora screamed again.

“Let me GO! I don’t want to be the Pincoy, I can’t take it! Riku’s going to age and die while I’ll stay the same.” He weakly struggled against Sephiroth, quickly exhausting himself. “Please… I want…Riku…” He slumped against Sephiroth’s chest, mentally exhausted.

Sephiroth, sensing the fight was gone from Sora, loosened his hold on the boy. Sora clung to Sephiroth with whatever strength he had. Sephiroth sat down on the couch, keeping Sora from falling to the floor. Cloud went to get rubbing alcohol and paper towels. When he came back to the living room, Sora was in the arms of Sephiroth, sleeping.

“We won’t be going anywhere tonight.” Cloud said as he kneeled in front of Sephiroth. He moved Sora’s arms, worried that they felt like dead weight, as he leaned in to get a better view of Sora’s neck. For such a short amount of time, Sora had managed to severely damage the skin on his throat. There were numerous scratches and a few that actually bled.

“You weren’t like this.” Sephiroth said as Cloud begin cleaning Sora’s neck.

“I was already in my Grace Period when I met you.” He gently dabbed a soaked paper towel against Sora’s neck, wiping the blood away. “If I knew he was going to scratch his throat, I would’ve stopped him before he went for it.”

“You knew he was going to break down again?” Sephiroth asked. Cloud nodded, taking another soaked paper towel. He grabbed Sora’s hand and wiped the blood off his lithe fingers.

“I thought he might. He didn’t wake up as hysterical as I thought he might.” Cloud dried Sora’s fingers and went back to cleaning Sora’s neck. A few of the cuts on Sora’s neck had started to bleed again. Sora remained almost lifelessly still.

He would’ve been more concerned if it weren’t for the small rise and fall of his chest. Cloud finished cleaning all the blood and with the help of Sephiroth, he bandage Sora’s neck. Cloud stood up as Sephiroth cradled Sora in his arms. He took Sora to the spare bedroom they had.

Cloud put away the first aid kit and he stood by the window, staring out into the city. Sephiroth walked back in and he walked next to Cloud.

“You didn’t tell him _that_ , did you?” Sephiroth asked.

Cloud shook his head. “Not yet.” 


	26. Chapter 26

“I don’t like this.” Roxas complained, in the arms of Axel in their room.

Yesterday, they were going to search for Sora in the Kingdom because they figured that was the only place Sora could’ve gone to. Riku was going to tag along and Axel as well so they had gone to Zexion to ask for the necklaces.

Instead of giving them the necklaces, Zexion had told them Sora wasn’t in the ocean at all. He was with Cloud and Sephiroth in some other town. He wouldn’t say where and Riku had stormed out. Without having a place to go search for, Roxas could do nothing but wait, as Zexion had suggested.

Roxas growled, gripping Axel’s hand tighter. The thought of it alone made him feel uselessly hopeless and flustered.

“I’m his Guardian too! Cid would put me through hell if he knew I wasn’t doing my job properly. But I figured Riku wouldn’t let Sora out of his sight,” Roxas sighed, releasing his tight grip on Axel’s hand.

“I was sure you were trying to amputate my fingers.” Axel said. Roxas turned around in Axel’s arm, glaring at him.

“You don’t care!” accused Roxas.

“I do,” Axel said. “You’re making things worse by over thinking things and trying to find blame.”

“I don’t know what else to do.” Roxas mumbled, looking away from Axel’s eyes. He laid back against Axel’s chest, keeping Axel’s arms around him. “Sora is alone during a time when he should be with friends.” Axel slipped his hands away and placed them over Roxas’s eyes. Roxas stopped talking, a bit startled. He raised his hands, touching Axel’s fingers.

“Sora must love having you around to worry about.”

“…that was Leon’s job.” Roxas said. “I’ve been a Guardian-in-training up until two months ago. But I do worry because he’s my best friend. I can’t help it.” Roxas mumbled.

Axel’s cool fingers felt good over his eyes. He pulled Axel’s hands away but kept his eyes closed. Roxas sighed as he rested his head on Axel’s shoulder, titling his face towards the warmth of Axel’s neck.

“I hope Sora’s doing okay with Cloud.” Roxas mumbled sleepily, despite it only being noon.

“Hey, is there any way for Sora to, y’know, start aging again?” Axel asked. Roxas hummed thoughtfully.

He didn’t know of a way, there weren’t even any legends to go on off. His brow crinkled together, thinking. There had to be a way. Cloud didn’t seem to be in his Grace Period at all. In fact, he couldn’t even sense the normal levels of magic in him, which was unusual considering he was a Pincoy.

Roxas bit his thumb; something was off. He was missing something important. Axel watched his face, seeing that he was deep in thought.

“When I was training you two on how to swim and fight, I told you about how I felt that Cloud felt off.”

“You were chewing on your thumb pad in that sexy way.” Axel said. Roxas scowled, smacking the back of his hand against Axel’s forehead.

“You distracted me,” Roxas said. “I think he’s losing his magic.”

“Is that possible?” Axel asked.

Roxas shook his head. “It’s not but there are exceptions. Mostly when we’re old and close to dying that we lose our magic but we don’t lose it completely. Cloud… He has almost no magic in him.” He bit his thumb pad again, a furrow appearing in-between his brow.

There was something there he wasn’t noticing. He was sure he was missing something. He couldn’t understand how Cloud had no magic even though he was the former Pincoy. Roxas sighed in frustration and vigorously ran his hands through his hair.

“Cloud must know something.” Roxas concluded. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he wasn’t connecting in his thoughts. “If there is a way, I’m sure Cloud knows.”

\------

“You don’t have to watch me like a prisoner.” Sora mumbled, glancing over at Sephiroth. He pushed the plate of food away from him, looking away. Sephiroth and Cloud were being careful with him.

Honestly, Sora didn’t blame them. After yesterdays’ episode, he would’ve been weary himself. He stared at his fingers, seeing his own blood coating them. His eyes widened. He closed his eyes, shook his head, opened them and the blood was gone.

Sora sighed, resting his head on the table.

“Are you going to eat?” Sephiroth asked. Sora lifted his head as he stared at the full plate. He only managed to eat a spoonful. He wasn’t hungry even though he should be.

“Are you going to force me?” Sora asked, resting his head back on the table.

“No.” Sephiroth said, opening up a book. Sora stared at the plate of food again. He lifted his head and pulled the plate back towards him. He grabbed the spoon and shoveled his food around, taking another bite.

“How long am I going to be watched?” Sora asked.

“Until we’re sure you won’t attempt to hurt yourself.” Sephiroth said. His eyes were on the book rather than the brunet.

“…I won’t hurt myself anymore.” Sora said. He lifted his hand and touched the bandage around his neck. “I’ve already accepted the fact that I won’t age.” Sora set the spoon down. He touched his scar through the shirt he wore; it’s become a habit of his.

He pushed the plate away again. He definitely wasn’t hungry. He stood up, walking away from the table. He sat down on the same couch Sephiroth was sitting, taking the spot on the other end. Sora tried to stay quiet but it didn’t last for long. He turned towards Sephiroth, only to be surprised that Sephiroth had put his book down was looking at him with an expectant expression.

“You have a question?” He asked. Sora blushed, looking away.

“How’d you figure?” Sora asked.

“Intuition and experience.” Sephiroth said. Sora looked down at his hands. He looked back at Sephiroth.

“Are you related to Riku?!” He blurted out. For a few seconds, it was quiet. Then Sephiroth chuckled, a deep throaty chuckle that sounded pleasant to Sora. For some reason, Sora blushed and he was pretty sure Sephiroth was making fun of him without even saying anything.

“We’re not related,” Sephiroth said. “Though I can see how you might think we are.”

“Riku’s hair is like yours,” Sora said, running his hands over his knees. He wanted to see Riku but at the same time he didn’t want. He rubbed his temples, feeling another headache coming on. He glanced over at Sephiroth and noticed he had gone back to his book. Cloud was out, shopping for more first aid kits. He lay down on the sofa and crawled closer until his head was resting on Sephiroth’s lap. He could feel Sephiroth look down at him.

“Can I please rest here?” He asked.

“What’s wrong with over there?”

“I feel lonely over there.” Sora said.

“You’re using me as a substitute for Riku.” Sephiroth said. Sora nodded, confirming the statement. He was lonely. Conflicted as well but, for the most part, lonely and Sephiroth brought more of a comfort to Sora than Cloud.

“I’ll be quiet, I promise.” Sora said. Sephiroth sighed and he continued reading his book.

Sora smiled, for the first time since yesterday, as he closed his eyes. Somewhere along pretending to sleep, he actually fell asleep. It was a short sleep, dreamless and vague.

He woke up a few hours later, a blanket covering his body and the sounds of talking in the air. He yawned as he lifted his head up rather sluggishly. He sat upright, rubbing his eyes as he looked around.

“Good, you’re awake.” Sora, still half-asleep, shuffled over to Cloud near the kitchen. He saw another plate of freshly cooked food set on the table. His stomach did growl but only a bit. His appetite was nowhere near back.

“I don’t have to eat the whole thing, do I?” He glanced at Sephiroth, feeling reassured a bit. It was the silver hair. The sight of it made him feel relaxed, even if it wasn’t Riku’s. Cloud shook his head and motioned Sora to sit. Sora sat, sensing something off. Cloud sat down on the chair beside him.

“Listen well, Sora,” Cloud said. Sora nodded. “I wanted to tell you this later but, in your case, you might want to know now.”  Sora perked up, hearing the serious undertones in Cloud’s voice. “This will probably have a different reaction to you then it did with me. There is a way for you to stop your Grace Period.”

Sora eyes widened, not believing him. He looked away, his mind thinking up a thousand questions he wanted to ask.

First of all, how?

Leon told him repeatedly the once he would enter his Grace Period, it had to run its course before he began aging again. Leon never mentioned there was a way to stop it. Sora looked back at Cloud with a hopeful expression. He knew he shouldn’t get so hopeful but he couldn’t stop himself. Even when he saw the hesitant look in Cloud’s eyes, he knew there was some catch, but Sora would do anything to be able to age with Riku like a normal human.

“I want to be with Riku, Cloud.” Sora said. “I’ll do anything if I can age with him.”

“Sora, do you know what makes you a Pincoy?” Cloud asked.

Sora blinked, confused at the sudden question. “My voice,” He said. “Well, my other voice.”

Cloud nodded. “It can help you stop your Grace Period but you’ll have to lose it.”

Sora brow furrowed. “Lose it? I have to lose my voice?”

Cloud nodded. “You won’t be able to be a Pincoy. To stop your Grace Period, you have to get rid of every ounce of magic in you. Since our magic is continuously growing, it won’t matter how much we get rid of it unless we give up being the Pincoy.” He stopped, letting Sora take in that bit of information.

He couldn’t spill it out all at once. It would be too much to process for Sora. Even now, he could see Sora was having difficulty grasping the concept.

Cloud had no problem parting with his voice. He never really wanted to be a Pincoy, but being born a Pincoy wasn’t something you could say no to. Cloud figured that being a Pincoy meant more to Sora and he was right. He could see the oncoming torment swirl in Sora’s blue eyes.

Sora clenched his hands, tight and tighter until he could feel his nails dig into his palm. He didn’t want to believe it. He wasn’t sure how he could believe it. There had to be another way. He looked at Cloud, hoping there was another way but Cloud softly shook his head. There was no other way. Sora bit his bottom lip, looking back down at the floor.

“Didn’t you scream yesterday how you didn’t want to be a Pincoy?” Sephiroth spoke.

“I did… But I was hurt! And mad and upset and not thinking straight!” Sora yelled, looking at Sephiroth. “I know I said that but… I don’t think I can. I love the sea.”

“And not Riku?” He asked.

“Sephiroth!” Cloud glared at him. Sephiroth shrugged, looking unapologetic. Sora sniffed, holding back tears.

Of course he loved Riku. More than anything, he wanted to be with him. But at the same time, to give up being the Pincoy, his connection to the sea he loved dearly, it was impossible to want to part with it. Between the sea and Riku, he couldn’t decide. His heart wavered on them, unsure which to follow.

“Is there more?” Sora asked. His voice sounded flat.

“You won’t be able to talk for a while if you give up being a Pincoy.” He said.

“Why not?” Sora asked.

Cloud shrugged, “I don’t know. I think it has to do with our own voice being heavily influenced and laced with the other voice. Your voice will return without the influence of magic.”

“…will I be able to use magic?” He asked. Cloud smiled gently, a smile hinted with a hint of sadness.

“You’ll be close to human without actually being human.” He said. Sora nodded, his mind preoccupied. He stood up and began walking out the kitchen area towards the rooms. “Sora?”

“I going to sleep.” Sora spoke. He disappeared around the corner and a second later they heard the door open and close shut. Cloud sighed and rested his head against the table.

“That went differently than I imagined.” Cloud said, lifting his head back up.

“You were expecting different?” Sephiroth said.

“Something along the lines of yesterday but this is okay. I just wished he ate before he went to his room. We might have to make sure he eats.”

“So much for a vacation.” Sephiroth said as he leaned back on his chair. Cloud chuckled and he stood up, walking over to Sephiroth. He leaned over Sephiroth, digging his fingers into Sephiroth’s mane of silver.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Cloud said, kissing him. “The least I can do now is help Sora through this.”

\------

Five days later and Sora was in the back seat of Sephiroth’s car, on their way back to the smaller town. He was lying down, sleeping. Cloud looked at the rearview mirror, wondering if he should be concerned or not.

During the past five days, Sora had rarely spoken and he would only eat if someone was there to watch him. At the least he wasn’t self destructive anymore. The bandages around Sora’s neck were gone and there were a few scratches that would fade away in time.

“You’re worried about him.” Sephiroth said.

“How can I not be?” Cloud said, resting his head back. “I don’t know what he’s going to do when we get back.”

“Hopefully all the sleeping he’s done was committed to figuring out what he wants to do now.” Sephiroth said.

“Five days isn’t enough to decide if he wants to throw away the thing that makes him special.” Cloud said.

“Being a Pincoy is special?” Sephiroth asked with an arched brow.

“It is,” Cloud insisted. “Despite the trouble it brings, it is something special we have to the sea.”

“And now you only have a special connection with me.” Sephiroth said.

Cloud smiled as he looked at the road ahead. “The only man stupid enough to be jealous of the sea.”

“And look who won in the end.” Sephiroth replied. “Will you tell him Wakka forced him into his Grace Period?”

“I don’t want to but I will. He has to know everything.” Cloud said.

In the back seat, Sora stared at the back of Cloud’s chair. Sora closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. It had to have been the time Wakka had said he was going to fix the scar. He had lied. He couldn’t believe that Wakka would do that. It wasn’t like him.

Someone else must have told him and Sora’s mind quickly came to the conclusion that it was Leon. He must’ve told Wakka. Sora wondered if that was why Cloud wasn’t going to tell him until later. Did he wonder if he was going to blame Wakka? Sora mentally sighed as his head began throbbing again. Sora knew Wakka wouldn’t have done it if Leon hadn’t told him.

Sora decided to stop thinking as his headache was getting worse. He already made his choice.

\------

When Sora woke up again, he was being woken up by Cloud. They were at the college already and as Sora looked around he noticed they were near the dorm Riku slept in. He climbed out of the car and took a deep breath in then exhaled. It felt good breathing in fresh air.

He stretched his arms above his head, arching his back. He looked relaxed but his eyes told a different story. Cloud heard the window roll down and Sephiroth poked his back. Cloud looked behind him and noticed Riku staring at him from not too far. Riku’s eyes quickly found the back of Sora’s head.

“Sora!”

Sora visibly flinched and Cloud watched as he turned around. His eyes seemed to have done a complete change. Sora’s eyes and lips smiled as he ran around the car. He ran into Riku, knocking him down as he hugged him. Riku, shocked, stared down at Sora. Sora lifted his head up from Riku’s chest as he wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck.

“Sora? What’re you doing?” Riku said. Sora looked up at Riku and he grinned.

“I’m hugging you,” He said. “What else would I be doing?” Riku chuckled as he pushed back Sora’s bangs.

“Listen, Sora, we have to talk.” Riku said. Sora tilted his head, wondering what he wanted to talk about. He straddled Riku’s lap, waiting.

By the car, Cloud was stunned at the complete character change of Sora. He wasn’t sure how he could manage it, considering he’s been close to a living zombie these past few days. He looked very animated and he was smiling like the same Sora he’d seen before.

“He’s a good actor.” Sephiroth said, watching the brunet.

“Don’t worry about that.” Sora loudly said. Cloud watched as he saw Sora turn around and point at him. “Cloud told me how to stop it, so I did.”

“He’s a _very_ good actor.” Sephiroth said.

Sora faced Riku again and he draped his arms around Riku’s shoulder. “I don’t want to be separated from you, Riku. I missed you.” Riku, stunned before at suddenly seeing Sora, recovered and he smiled. Whatever the circumstances, he had Sora back.

“I missed you too, Sora.” Riku whispered. Sora blushed as he smiled. “Will everything be okay now?”

Sora nodded. “Yeah, everything is okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Y’know, if you want to see Leon, you can,” Riku said, looking away. Sora stared at him, surprised. “I won’t like it but I realized that he’s important you to you.” He was pouting. It was subtle but Riku was definitely pouting.

Sora smiled and he stood up, pulling Riku up as well. He grabbed his hand, interlocking his fingers in-between Riku’s and he looked up at him.

“Thank you, Riku,” Sora said. “But I’d rather save that for later. I want to be alone with you.” Sora blushed as he slyly stared at Riku. “Just the two of us.” Riku didn’t need any more of a hint than that.

He led Sora away from the dorms because Axel was there. There would be no privacy. He had the keys to the pool building and it was currently closed off to the students for maintenance. No one would be there.

Cloud watched them run away. He had no idea if he should be concerned over Sora’s sudden personality change.

\------

Sora smiled, teasing Riku as he ran ahead of him. His footsteps echoed in the large room as he ran on top of tile. Sora lost track of how long they’ve been in the pool building. As he looked up at the glass ceiling, he could tell it was nearing night time. Sora slowed down as he walked to the edge of the pool.

He stared at the water, watching his reflection waver in the water. There were several kiss marks on his body. He looked down at himself and pressed his finger against a mark on his hip that was slowly turning into a bruise.

There were a few more, all along his hips and waist. It was what he asked for. Not verbally, Riku would’ve never gone along with it. Sora urged Riku to go harder and faster during the several times they had sex.

If Namine was with him, he was sure she would say he was trying to punish himself. She wouldn’t be wrong but she wouldn’t be right. He really did miss Riku but he wanted to give Riku a good memory of their time together. He sniffed, gripping his hand against his chest.

Sora was too deep in thought that he didn’t see Riku walk up to him. When Riku reached out and touched his arm, Sora flinched. He backed away and lost his balance on the edge of the pool. With flailing arms, he fell in with a big splash.

Enveloped in water, Sora twisted around as he swam towards the bottom. He sat down and he quickly cried, glad that he could hold his breath for much longer than a human. After a good quick cry, he rubbed his eyes and kicked off, swimming towards the surface.

“Were you going for a world record?” Riku asked, sitting down at the edge. Sora grinned as he pulled himself out of the water and sat beside him.

“I think I would be disqualified since I am a merman.” Sora said. “It’s an unfair advantage.” He leaned his head against Riku’s shoulder as he felt Riku slip an arm around his waist. He grabbed Riku’s hand and stared at his fingers. Riku pulled his hand away and he tilted Sora’s head up so he could look at him. Riku ran his thumb underneath Sora’s eyes.

“You’re eyes are red.” He said.

Sora blinked and wrinkled his nose. “It’s that weird stuff in the water.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Riku asked.

Sora smiled as he nuzzled his head against Riku’s neck. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.” Sora grabbed Riku’s hand again. “I missed you.”

Riku smiled as he held Sora’s hand tighter. “Listen, I have an idea.”

“What?” Sora said as he looked at him.

“With all the gems you had in your treasure chest, Zexion told me you had more than enough to live comfortably with us. He kept your chest over at Cloud’s place and they’re going to place it in a bank. It’s a place where we keep the money we earn.” Riku added, seeing the puzzled looked in Sora’s eyes. “Since it’s the summer and I won’t take any summer classes, I think we should live together.”

“Don’t we already?” Sora asked.

“Sharing a room with the flaming fire hydrant doesn’t equal living together.” Riku said. Sora chuckled and he stood up.

“Then what do you mean?” He asked. Riku stood up and he turned towards Sora. Sora blushed. The way Riku stared at him made him feel aware that he was naked. Riku walked towards him until Sora had backed up into the wall behind him. Sora looked up at Riku and in that moment he never wanted to leave. It wasn’t a lusty gaze that Riku gave him. At least it wasn’t a completely lusty gaze. Sora felt completely loved.

“We could rent a place, a house maybe here in town.” Sora blinked and he held back tears. He couldn’t cry now. He still had to appear okay to Riku. Sora smiled and he leaned up on his toes to softly kiss Riku.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” He whispered, while in the back of his mind, he kept apologizing over and over again.

\------

Riku had carried Sora on his back to the dorms when the moon was already high in the night sky. Sora kept his arms around Riku’s neck, his head resting on Riku’s shoulder. He felt so tired but relaxed at the same time. He almost felt calm but Sora knew it wouldn’t last long.

It was like being in the eye of a hurricane. Sora was prepping himself before he had to throw himself back in the violent storm. Sora smiled and he ruffled up Riku’s hair.

“You’re getting your strength back?”

“No but I did have enough to play with your hair.” Sora said. He could feel Riku smile and he couldn’t help but smile too.

“We’re almost to the room.” Riku said as he opened the door to the dorm. Sora smiled and rested his head back on Riku’s shoulder. He closed his eyes, feeling Riku’s footsteps as he walked to the elevator. The elevator made a bell-noise and the doors opened, revealing Axel and Roxas.

“Sora?” Roxas said.

Sora opened his eyes. Roxas stared at him, as if he wasn’t sure if he was actually there. Sora grinned and he held out his hand. “It’s me, Roxy.” Sora said.

“Sora! You blockhead! Why the hell did you disappear?!” Roxas yelled as the doors closed. Sora flinched at the tone of his voice. He held tighter on to Riku’s neck.

“I didn’t disappear,” Sora said. “I took a trip with Cloud and Sephiroth. Cloud had stuff to tell me.”

“Well, I have stuff to tell you. Sora, you’re in-”

“My Grace Period,” Sora finished. Roxas stared at him, surprised. Sora smiled as the doors opened and Riku walked out to the hallway. Roxas and Axel followed.

Riku entered their room, turning on the lights as he walked to his bed. Sora released his hold on Riku and he fell backwards on the bed. Sora grinned, bouncing up as he sat down. Roxas quickly climbed onto Riku’s bed, sitting beside him.

“You know?” Roxas asked.

Sora nodded. “Yeah, I already dealt with it. Cloud told me how to stop it so while I was out with him, I stopped it. I’m aging again.”

“How?” Roxas asked. Sora yawned and he shuffled backwards until his back was pressed against the wall.

“Tomorrow, Roxas,” Sora said. “I’m too sleepy right now.” He yawned again, rubbing the corners of his eyes. Roxas sighed but he smiled. At least Sora was back. That was all that mattered at the moment.

Everything else could come later. He nodded as he crawled off Riku’s bed and made his way to Axel’s bed. Riku pulled off his shirt, tossing it on his desk as he climbed into bed with Sora. Axel turned off the lights as he jumped into bed with Roxas.

“Hey!” Roxas yelled. Sora chuckled as he snuggled up against Riku. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora’s body. Riku’s body warmth enveloped him. He smiled and snuggled closer. He still needed to keep a front but knowing that he soon had to go ahead with his plan, it was making things difficult. Sora smiled and kissed Riku’s neck.

“I love you, Riku.” He said.

“I know.”

\------

A few hours later, Sora forced himself to open his eyes. He didn’t go to sleep with Riku. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited and waited.

He carefully slipped out of Riku’s arm and quietly crawled out of the bed. The quicker he left, the less painful it’ll be though it was already tearing his heart apart. It couldn’t hurt anymore than it already did.

Sora didn’t bother with his shoes. He wouldn’t need them. Sora walked over to the door and he looked back at Riku’s body. He gripped the doorknob as he quickly looked away. Sora opened the door and he stepped out, quietly closing the door behind him. Sora pressed his palms against the door. He refused to say goodbye.

“Going somewhere?”

Sora gasped, turning around. Roxas stood behind him, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t look too pleased. Anyone wouldn’t be too pleased. Sora moved away from the door.

“Let’s get away from here.” Sora said, avoiding Roxas’s stare. He walked down the hallway, hearing Roxas follow him. He headed into the staircase and he sat down on the top step. Roxas hesitated before he sat down beside Sora.

“Sora… What’s really going on?” Roxas asked.

“How did you know anything was going on?” Sora asked.

“Like I don’t know when you’re using your image.” Roxas said. “That wasn’t you back there. That was you as the Pincoy. Not as Sora. Riku might not have picked it up but I did.” Sora looked away from him.

Of course Roxas would pick up on that. Leon always told him he had to act a certain way outside the castle. A dignified image of the Pincoy, that’s what he had to learn when he went to other Kingdoms.

Sora sighed as he gazed out the window on the other side of the wall, letting in moonlight through the glass. He still had to hold himself together. Sora couldn’t start crying. Not yet and not in front of Roxas. He was worried enough as it was. Sora clasped his hands together as he looked at the bottom of the staircase.

“I have to leave, Roxas.”


	27. Chapter 27

“Wait? What? You’re leaving?” Roxas stared at Sora, unsure if he heard right. Sora didn’t look at Roxas.

He couldn’t but it was enough to let Roxas know he heard right. Roxas quickly stood up causing Sora to flinch. He walked down a few steps and stood in front of Sora. Roxas kneeled down in front of him so Sora had no choice but to look at him. Sora glanced away.

“I am.” He whispered.

“Explain.” Roxas demanded. “I’m not leaving until I know the reason why.”

Sora remained tightlipped. He couldn’t say anything and he didn’t want to. Roxas was already worried enough. He didn’t want to add anymore to his worry. Sora sniffed, feeling an all too familiar pressure behind his eyes. He had really hoped he could’ve been able to slip away quietly without anyone noticing.

Sora grabbed Roxas’s hands, gripping them tightly.

“I have to leave, Roxas. I have to.” Sora said. Roxas frowned. He pulled his hands away from Sora’s and planted them on Sora’s face, tilting Sora’s head so they were staring directly at each other.

“You keep saying that but I still don’t know why.” Roxas said. “Don’t you like it here?”

Sora shook his head. “I love it here.” He said.

“Then is it Riku?” Roxas asked. Sora vigorously shook his head.

“I love Riku.” Sora said. With shaky hands, he gripped Roxas’s wrist. “Don’t doubt that I don’t. I love him more than anything. That’s why I have to leave.”

Roxas shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense. In fact, it sounds stupid!” Sora flinched, looking away. “You don’t run away from the person you love. Remember all those times you told me that I shouldn’t be stubborn and accept that I love Axel, well now I’m telling you to stop being stupid saying that you have to leave because you love Riku.”

Sora shook his head, not being able to hold back his tears. He kept Roxas away, holding him back. Roxas swatted Sora’s hands away and he grabbed Sora’s face, making him look back at his friend.

“I… I don’t know what else to do…” Sora blubbered through tears and snot. “…my Grace Period… I have to choose!” He rubbed his hand against his eyes, smearing the tears against his cheeks. “I know what I should pick but… I can’t!”

Roxas gently sighed as he pushed back Sora’s bangs back. His face was a mess; tear streaks, snot, and red eyes. He smiled softly as he pulled off his shirt to wipe Sora’s face. Roxas needed to trend carefully.

Just by looking at Sora’s face, he could tell Sora could be easily upset. His face looked tired, more than it did before. Sora sighed as he leaned forward and rested his head on Roxas’s shoulder.

“…my head hurts again.” He whispered.

“It’s fine,” Roxas said. “You look exhausted so let’s go back. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Sora nodded and he slowly stood up. He sniffed loudly, rubbing the corner of his eyes. He felt relieved if only for awhile. Roxas grabbed Sora’s hand and he started climbing back up the staircase with Sora.

Looking up, Sora froze in place. The door was open and Riku was looking at them. He looked confused, wondering what was going on. It took less than a second to undue all the convincing Roxas had managed to get through to Sora.

His eyes widened and he pulled his hand away from Roxas. He didn’t move yet. His eyes were still fixated on Riku. Roxas clenched his teeth as he ignored Riku and faced Sora.

“Calm down. Breathe.” He instructed. He reached out for Sora’s hand but Sora pulled his hand away. “Remember, you don’t have to deal with this alone.” He reached out again and his fingertips grazed the back of Sora’s hand.

He still didn’t look like he wasn’t going to run but Sora’s whole body was tense. He might not look like he was going to run but he was ready. He just hoped Riku didn’t do anything to upset him.

“What does he mean?” Riku asked. “Deal with what alone?” Apparently, that was enough for Sora to completely fling away the seed of reason Roxas had managed to plant. Sora snapped, taking a step backwards, forgetting he was on the stairs.

He tumbled backwards, roughly rolling down the stairs as he crashed into the wall with a muted but painful-sounding thud. Sora gasped in pain, rolling onto his hands and knees, as he struggling to his feet.

“Sora! Don’t move.” Riku shouted, taking a step forward.

“Riku, stop!” Roxas shouted but it was too late. Sora scrambled to his feet and he bolted for the first floor. Roxas swore as he angrily glared daggers at Riku.

“One minute more and he could’ve been with us!” He yelled.

“What’s going on?” Riku asked, walking down the stairs to Roxas.

“Something about a choice and his Grace Period,” Roxas said. “I’m not sure. He was crying hard and talking so it was hard to hear him.”

“That doesn’t explain anything.” Riku said.

“He’s a watered down version for you,” Roxas said, glaring at him. “Unless we find a way to bring him back, you’ll never see Sora again.” Riku stared back at Roxas and he immediately ran down the stairs. He wasn’t going to not do anything this time around.

“I’m going after him!”

“Whatever you do, try to stall him! The only place for Sora to go is the Ocean.” Roxas called out as he heard the first floor door slam open. Roxas looked back up and he noticed Axel standing at the top stairs.

He stared at his human then looked away. He heard Axel walk down the stairs and his long arms were suddenly around his shoulders. Roxas gripped Axel’s hand tightly. He didn’t want to say anything but he could tell Axel was thinking the same thing.

“When the time comes, we’ll deal with it then.” Axel said. Roxas nodded and he walked down the stairs, leading Axel by the hand.

“We have to get the necklaces from Zexion, in any case.” Roxas said.

\------

“Sora! Sora! Stop running!” Riku yelled, chasing after Sora.

Sora was fast on his feet but Riku ran faster, slowly gaining on him. Sora didn’t dare look behind him. He solely concentrated on running and not tripping over his own feet.

He could hear Riku call out to him and he desperately wanted to stop but he didn’t. He ignored his rational thought and kept on running, heading towards the shore. Coming across the last road closest to the shore, a car screeched to a halt. Sora narrowly escaped the car, though he felt the corner of the bumper graze his leg, yet he didn’t stop as he crossed the road.

Riku kept running and noticed Sora had tripped over his feet. Sora yelled as he tumbled down the hill. He came to a skidding halt at the bottom, his head more than dizzy. Sora slowly stood to his feet and he tried to take a step forward but he fell back to his knees. The ground was spinning underneath him.

“Sora!” Riku called out. Sora shook his head but that made the dizziness worse. Before he knew it, he felt Riku kneel beside him. Sora tensed and he stared at the ground, refusing to look up at him. His plan hadn’t worked out as well as he thought. Sora braced himself as he felt Riku touch the back of his hand.

“What’s going on?” Riku asked.

“…I wanted to leave you with a good memory.” Sora whispered.

Catching Riku off guard, Sora bolted away from him, heading to the beach. Riku cursed as he straightened up and ran after Sora again. He couldn’t let Sora reach the water. He pumped his legs faster, right at Sora’s heels as the grass turned into sand. He reached out and grabbed Sora’s hand. Sora jerked back from the force of stopping. He looked away, refusing to meet Riku’s eyes.

“Why won’t you look at me?” Riku asked. Sora clenched his teeth as he braced himself. He turned around and wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck. He had his eyes closed as he hugged him.

Then he stepped back as a wave of water swept over his feet. Riku took a staggering step back as he saw a large wave come towards the shore. He had to have figured Sora must have manipulated the water. The waves were never rough, especially at night, and he certainly never seen a 10 foot wave at night.

Sora, without looking at Riku, turned and headed towards the large wave. Instinctively, Riku ran after Sora as he jumped into the wave. Sora disappeared and the wave crashed down on Riku, sweeping him back to the shore with tremendous force.

He tumbled backwards and flipped over, settling on his back as the water receded back to its’ normal ebb and flow. Riku rolled onto his hands and knees as he coughed up water. His throat burned as he cleared his lungs.

He looked back towards the ocean but Sora was gone.

\------

“I _really_ don’t need an escort, Saïx.” Kairi mumbled as she swam along the corridor to the garden. She had finished her lesson with Cid though she wouldn’t call it a lesson. It was more of a punishment for breaking the pillar the other day. Not that she had purposely broken them. Kairi sighed as she flipped over to her back.

“It’s part of my job.” Saïx said.

“Your job is commanding troops. I am not a part of your troop.”

“But you do need looking after.” He said. Kairi stuck her tongue out at Saïx as she swam ahead of him.

One tiny careless incident and she was regretting it for the rest of her life. As she swam towards the garden, she could see Naminé and Wakka talking. They noticed her and Kairi waved, swimming faster.

Down the corridor, she could hear a loud commotion. It was loud enough to have Naminé peek from the entrance. Kairi swam up to her and they looked down the corridor, waiting to see what was happening.

Saïx and Wakka positioned themselves in front the girls. Saïx unhooked his giant claymore from his back strap and took his battle ready stance. Kairi swam behind Saïx and peeked around his back, watching with curious eyes as the commotion seemed to settle down.

“I wonder what that was about.” Kairi said.

“I’ll go investigate.” Saïx said. Wakka nodded but before Saïx could move from his spot, something swam right past him in a blur. Confused, he looked around and watched as the figure made a sharp turn. It was heading into the title-holder’s section of the Palace.

“Was that…Sora?” Naminé asked. She didn’t have to wait long for an answer as a soldier came up to Saïx.

“Commander, we’ve received orders to report in if the Pincoy was ever spotted. We believe that was him.”

“It certainly swam like him.” Saïx said. Kairi moved back as he hooked his claymore back onto the strap again.

“Did he say anything? A reason as to why he came back?” Saïx asked.

“Well, he didn’t stop and we couldn’t stop him. From what I glimpsed, he seemed pretty tense.”

“Something must’ve happened.” Naminé said as she swam off.

“Hey!” Kairi called out and she followed her.

“I’ll take care of the report, Wakka.” Saïx said. “Go after the girls and Sora.” He added. Wakka nodded and he swam off, leaving him with the soldier.

Sora hadn’t realized he had swum past them.

Since leaving Riku on the surface, Sora had been swimming non-stop to the Palace as fast as he could. He had wished that he would be able to slip by undetected but, lately, nothing had gone his way.

As soon as he was near the gates, a soldier had spotted him. A chain reaction followed and he was suddenly running from the guards of the Palace. He had used his speed to out-swim most of them and then used his knowledge of hidden pathways and zigzagging through the arches in the ceiling to confuse the others.

Sora finally let himself slow down as he neared his room. He swam in and felt a smile tug at his lips. Near the large bed he slept in with Naminé and Kairi was the paopu fruit, still trapped in its air tight bubble Wakka had sealed it in. He swam over to the shelf and picked it up.

The fruit had begun to decay and a point had fallen off. The end was blackened and spread throughout. Sora sighed and he sang a quick low song. A moment later an eel swam close to him.

“Would you like this? I’m sorry that it went a bit bad but I don’t want to throw it away to waste.” Sora popped the bubble and the held the fruit in his hands. The eel took the smaller chunk of the fruit then snatched the rest as it swam away. “Thank you.” Sora called out.

He swam back out of the room when he heard the voices of Naminé and Kairi. Panicking, Sora dashed the opposite way, rounding the corner and heading back into the main palace corridor. Sora swam towards the ceiling and settled inside the arch.

He didn’t know what to do now. Or, he knew what he wanted to do but he suddenly became nervous.

From underneath him, he could hear shouts from soldiers. They were alarming the rest of the palace of his return. Sora, for once, wanted to scoff at that. They might think he was returning but Sora knew he wasn’t. The talking got louder and Sora had to peek over the edge to see what was going on. Luckily, no one but Leon would ever think to look up at the ceiling and he wasn’t there.

“Really, what is the Pincoy thinking?” One of the soldiers said, rather loudly.

“Maybe he’s going through his rebellious phase.” Another soldier answered.

“How ‘bout you two stop gossiping like a bunch of nurses?” Cid said, swimming up behind them.

The soldiers quickly shut their mouths and swam off. Cid grumbled and scratched his head as he swam off as well. Sora pulled his head back in and for a while everything was quiet.

He laid down, propping his tail up on the other side of the arch. Something to his left caught his attention and a huge grin broke onto his face as he saw his turtle swim towards him. Sora reached out and pulled the turtle towards him.

“I’ve missed you!” He whispered, making sure to keep his voice down. The turtle pressed his head against Sora’s palm then wiggled out of Sora’s hands and rested on top of Sora’s belly. Sora smiled gently as he placed his hand on top of the turtle’s shell. “I’m sorry I left without much of a warning but I met an amazing human on the surface.”

The turtle cocked his head to the side and he stared at him.

“Yeah, the same one I saw. He’s snarky and really likes to tease me but I don’t mind it,” Sora said. “I guess he’s sweet but usually when we’re alone. I’m pretty sure Axel would never stop teasing Riku if he were ever sweet in front of him.”

The turtle bumped his head against Sora’s belly.

“Hmm, Axel? He’s another human I met. I met so many kind humans. And I also--!” Sora gasped, startling the turtle.

“Sorry!” He whispered, holding back a smile. The turtle turned his head and faced the other way. Sora giggled as he grabbed the turtle and turned him back around. “I also met another Pincoy. His name is Cloud and he used to belong to another Kingdom. I think it was the East Kingdom.”

He began telling the turtle about Cloud. He told him everything, even the details Cloud had told him about losing his abilities as the Pincoy. Somehow, telling the process to someone else, even if it was a turtle, felt better.

Sora gently tapped the turtles’ shell. He definitely felt much better. From the corner of his eye, a flash of red passed him and an eight-tentacle octopus landed on his chest. Sora grinned, greeting his other friend.

He repeated everything to the octopus before he continued on about Cloud. He felt incredibly relaxed with the two of them. Sora knew he should hurry up and find Leon but he felt comfortable being inside the little nook of the arch. He tapped the turtle’s shell and promised himself that he would get going soon.

Right now, Sora wanted to spend time alone with his two sea creature friends.

\------

“Riku, slow down!” Roxas shouted. He swam faster and caught Riku’s arm, holding him back. Riku sucked his teeth in annoyance but nonetheless, he slowed down.

Roxas had explained before that they needed to descend slowly. Since he and Axel are originally human, even as mermen, they have to slow down when they descend so that they’re bodies would get used to the underwater pressure changes.

If it were only Roxas, he would’ve been at the palace near fifteen minutes rather than close to an hour. But he could understand Riku’s urgency. Roxas sighed, and then felt Axel reach out and hold his hand. A bit startled, Roxas relaxed. He nearly forgotten Axel was there. He squeezed Axel’s hand.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Roxas asked.

“Like what?”

“About us,” Roxas said. “You’re not saying anything.”

“What is there to say?” Axel asked. “When it happens, it’ll happen.”

“What the hell does that mean!?” Roxas shouted turned around and facing Axel. “Am I supposed to decide whether I want to be with you in a split second?! That I have to choose?!” Roxas’s hands trembled by his sides. He curtly looked away and dived further down.

His whole relationship with Axel had been weighing on his mind since they began descending into the sea. Even before that, when Sora ran away from them, he’d been thinking about it. Roxas knew he would someday have to decide whether we wanted to be with Axel. He did say to Axel that he would only stay if Sora was with Riku but now he didn’t know how that would turn out.

Roxas clenched his fist tighter. He was so thrown off balance by what was going on.

“Roxas.” The blond nearly jumped out of his own skin as he felt Axel grab a hold of his hand again.

Roxas blushed as Axel swam beside him, holding his hand. He looked the other way, refusing to meet Axel’s eyes. Axel didn’t say anything. Roxas nibbled on his bottom lip. It was unnerving him, the way Axel stayed quiet.

“Why aren’t you questioning me?” Roxas mumbled. Axel looked ahead, into the dark depth of the sea.

“I love you.” Axel said. Roxas blushed, finally deciding to look at Axel. That was unexpected. “I want you to have that fresh in your mind today.”

“It’s weird,” Roxas mumbled. “Seeing you serious and all.” He heard Axel chuckle which made him blush even more. He looked over at Axel and moved closer. He gripped Axel’s hand tighter as he distinctively felt his own heart beat.

He maneuvered himself closer, swimming in front of Axel as they dove. He wrapped his arms around Axel’s neck and paced his tail so that it was in sync with the movements of Axel’s tail as well as keeping his body pressed against Axel’s. Even though their faces were inches away, Roxas didn’t directly look at him. He kept his gaze lowered but Axel could see the red across his face. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Roxas’s waist. Swimming together in the position they were in felt like they were one being rather than two.

“I know I said that I would stay with you as long as Sora was with Riku,” Roxas began. He had his eyes shut yet his heart was thumping madly. He had no doubt that Axel could feel it. “That was the condition but… I’m not sure now. I haven’t been sure since we got Sora back.”

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the base of Axel’s neck. His heart thumped louder. He kept raising his gaze until he was staring at Axel’s lips.

“I…whatever may happen; I decided that I will stay with you. I don’t want to be away from you, even though I know how big of an idiot you are.”

Axel’s head drooped but he smiled. Only Roxas could give him a love confession like that and insult him at the same time. Still, he loved that part of his merman. It gave him great ammunition to be used for teasing.

“You make it sound like I wasn’t going to chase after you if you decided to stay down here.”

“I know you would try and do that.” Roxas said. He closed his eyes again. He’d figured Axel would try something like that if he decided to stay with the Kingdom. He opened his eyes again and he stared back at Axel’s lips. “That’s why I’m throwing away my title as a Guardian.”

He finally looked up at Axel’s eyes. “I don’t know what’s going through Sora’s mind but I’m certain that he won’t give up. It’s who he is, as stubborn as he may be, that’s why he won’t give up. And I’m not going to give up either.”

Roxas tilted his head towards Axel and kissed him. Axel smiled as he felt Roxas tremble against him.

Obviously, his words meant more than just words. He was afraid but he sincerely meant his words even though he basically said he would leave the world he grew up in and became accustomed to all for Axel. Roxas shifted his head over, hiding his face against Axel’s neck as they continued to swim together, their bodies pressed together and in synch.

“Tell Riku to slow down.” Roxas mumbled, glancing to the side as he noticed how far ahead Riku was. He felt Axel’s body shake as he chuckled.

“What’s wrong?” Axel asked into Roxas’s ear. “Did the confession wear you out?” Roxas blushed, keeping his face hidden. Axel grinned and he looked over at Riku.

“You heard the man, Riku. Slow down before you explode!”

“…it’s implode.” Roxas mumbled.

“Either way, he goes boom, doesn’t he?”

“…idiot.” Roxas said with a hint of smile that he was sure Axel could feel.

\------

Sora peeked over the edge again as he watched a few scattered soldiers swim yards below him.

Barely an hour had passed since he’d been in his cozy nook inside the arch. He could feel the turtle beside him and the octopus on his head, its favorite spot to loiter.

He found it difficult to want to search for Leon. But Sora knew he couldn’t stay inside his arch forever. Sora sighed, pulling his head back and began to settle back into the laid back position he was in when he looked to the other side. His eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the head commander.

“…Saïx.”

“It’s nice to see you back, Pincoy.” Saïx greeted.

Adrenaline rushed through Sora as he darted out of the arch and away from him. Of all the people who had to have found him, it had to be the head commander. Sora almost wished it was Cid that found him but that would probably be just as bad.

Saïx wasn’t a bad guy but at the moment, when the whole palace was looking for him, basically anyone was a bad guy. He couldn’t let himself get caught by Saïx. He raced through the corridors, drawing the attention of other soldiers.

Sora ignored them. They weren’t the threat; Saïx was.

He weaved through the pillars, looking over his shoulder every now and then. Saïx was slowly gaining on him. Sora clenched his teeth as he kicked his tail faster. He made a sharp turn, getting close to the entrance of the palace.

The octopus on his head detached itself and squirted ink behind Sora. The black ink cloud expanded and he nodded towards the octopus as he made another sharp turn to the right. Another shock came to him as he saw Leon at the end of the corridor.

Instead of running away, as he did with Saïx, everything in his mind screamed at him to charge towards him. Sora didn’t stop. In fact, he sped up. Seeing Leon, all the confused feelings he had bubbled together until he felt nothing but frustrations towards his Guardian. He kicked harder, gaining more speed.

Before he crashed into Leon, Sora sharply flipped over. While Leon was expecting Sora to slow down and swim off to the side, Sora had a different idea. Using the momentum he gained, he used his tail and slammed it against Leon’s chest.

There was a loud audible crack as Leon was driven into the wall, his body slamming roughly into it. The force of Sora’s blow kicked up a cloud of sand. The rock wall cracked around him and his left arm fell to his side, broken in two places. If he hadn’t put his arm up at the last second, Leon was sure he would’ve had a few broken ribs.

He wasn’t expecting that from Sora. Soldiers gathered around, looking on as the sand settled.

Leon heard a loud hiccup and as the sand finally settled he could see Sora floating before him. His hands were clenched and trembling at his side. He was glaring at Leon, anger very clearly shimmering in his eyes.

Sora sniffed and he threw himself at Leon as he began to weakly pound against Leon’s chest. Naminé and Kairi gathered around, the soldiers parting around them so they could get through. Cid and Wakka were right behind them, watching with the rest.

“Why!” Sora shouted, continuing to pound his fists against Leon’s chest. They weren’t hurting Leon but it was the only other thing Sora could do, no matter how desperate it seemed. “Why are you so opposed to Riku and I?!”

Sora shook his head then looked up at Leon. The anger was gone replaced by hopeless frustrations.

Everything that he had bottled up since he learned he couldn’t age, the bitter frustration and pain, shone clearly in his blue eyes as he stared at Leon. “Why did you have to force me into my Grace Period?” It came out as a hoarse whisper and Sora weakly beat his fists on Leon’s chest again.

“Sora…”

“NO!” Sora shouted, slamming his hand on Leon’s jaw, shutting it. “I don’t want to hear excuses. Don’t tell me it was for my own sake. It wasn’t. I wouldn’t be hurting this much if it was. I don’t want lies. I don’t want to hear them.” Sora scrapped his nails against Leon’s chest.

Everything he had built up inside was finally being let out and it wasn’t going according to how he wanted to say it. “I want to hear why. Why can’t I be happy with Riku?”

It was dead silent. No one stirred. Sora slid down to the ground. He stared at the sand, digging his finger into the sand. His throat hurt from the yelling and he would’ve have yelled some more but he was tired.

That kick to Leon wore him down. He’d never used his tail that way, much less on Leon. Leon drifted down and he grabbed Sora’s hand with his unharmed hand.

“Let’s have a talk somewhere else.” Leon said to him. Sora didn’t nod or shake his head. He simply followed Leon as he led him somewhere else, away from the eyes of others. He didn’t take notice of where he was going. His tail throbbed painfully from the blow. He was suddenly tired and wanted to shrug everything away with sleep but he couldn’t.

When he felt that he wasn’t moving, as he was letting Leon lead the way, Sora found himself in the garden. The first thing Sora noticed was the large hole in the wall. No one had fixed the wall since the pod of Orcas had crashed through.

Sora almost smiled as he swam towards the wall. He looked out at the vanishing expanse of sea before him. The garden looked much better with hole in the wall. He drifted over to a large boulder on the opposite side of the hole and gaze towards the sea.

“Leon.” Sora said. Leon, without question, swam over to the brunet.

When he was near, Sora reached out and grabbed Leon’s broken arm. He flinched as pain lanced up his arm as Sora inspected the arm. It was broken halfway up his forearm and just above his elbow. Sora breathed in deeply and placed a hand on the arm.

He pushed his magic into Leon’s arm, healing the arm even though he was perfectly entitled to leave Leon in pain. Leon remained silent until Sora pulled his hand away. Leon flexed his arm, his arm fixed.

Since Sora wasn’t looking at him, Leon lowered himself in front of Sora until he was looking up at the brunet. Sora briefly stared at him then looked away. With his neck turned, Leon noticed the faint scars on Sora’s neck.

“What happened to your neck?” Leon asked. A muscle twitched in his neck as Sora hunched up his shoulders. Sora raised his hand to his neck. He couldn’t feel any scars but he remembered clawing at his neck pretty roughly. He _had_ drawn blood after all. Sora dropped his hand back to his side and he stared directly at Leon.

“Are you going to tell me why I can’t be with Riku?” He asked.

Leon sighed. “He’s a human.”

“That’s not a reason,” Sora said. “It’s an excuse.” He didn’t look away from Leon but Leon did. Sora frowned and he grabbed Leon’s face, making Leon look at him. “I clawed at my throat when Cloud told me I was in my Grace Period. The scratches are from my nails. Fortunately, he stopped me before I could seriously hurt myself.” Sora lowered his hands, settling them back on his lap. He reached and grabbed Leon’s hand.

“Don’t mistake me for Cloud.” He said.

“I am not mistaking you for Cloud, Sora.” Leon firmly said. “I don’t want you to be with Riku.”

“You keep saying that but you’re not telling me why.” Sora said. “Why don’t you want me to be with Riku? I don’t care if he’s human. That doesn’t matter to me.”

Leon looked away. Sora sighed and he made him look back at him. “I am not Cloud.” Sora firmly said.

“I know that.”

Sora shook his head. “No you don’t. You’re keeping me away from Riku because you think he’s deceiving me or something like that.” He squeezed Leon’s hand. “I’m not leaving by force.”

Leon remained quiet. So did Sora. He released Leon’s hand and swam around Leon. He drifted over to the coral reefs in the corner. He settled down in front of it and watched various tropical fishes dart in and out.

He smiled and poked the nose of a Lionfish before it swam away. Leon watched him as various tropical fishes began appearing and swimming around Sora.

“Y’know, when I was younger, I wanted to be your mate.” Sora confessed. He cupped his hands together as a bright seas slug crawled onto his hands.

Leon eyes widened, surprised at Sora’s confession. Sora kept his back to Leon, watching the sea slug instead, as he continued to talk. “I loved you back then and I still do. You were everything to me.” Sora lowered his hands and the slug crawled off, back to its home in the coral reefs. “You were the first one I talked to in the common language.”

“And it took you two years to be able to talk in complete sentences.”

“Hey! I could talk in the ancient language!” Sora replied.

“And no one could understand you unless you were touching them.” Leon said.

Sora smiled. “And if I wanted them to understand me.” He straightened up and turned around. “I wanted you to be mine as a mate but not anymore. Though I’m glad you’re mine as a Guardian. Leon, I know you don’t like humans but give Riku a chance. Please stop thinking about the past, about what happened between Cloud and you. You’re only hurting yourself that way.”

“….I wanted to protect you. I swore that to myself.” Leon said. He clenched his hands, keeping them by his side. “It looks like I haven’t been doing a good job at it.”

Sora gently sighed as he swam towards Leon. He floated in front of Leon and looked up at him. He lifted his hands and held Leon’s face. Sora braced himself, took a deep breath, leaned in and quickly head butted Leon.

Their heads painfully knocked together. Sora winced, immediately clutching his forehead as Leon touched his own sore forehead. While Sora rubbed his forehead, he glared at Leon.

“Stop being a blockhead!! You _have_ protected me. Countless times! I would’ve been in danger so many times if you weren’t there for me. So don’t say you think you haven’t been doing a good job. You’ve been more than excellent at protecting me. You just took it too far, thinking you had to protect me from humans too.” Sora stopped to rub his forehead again. “That hurt more than I thought it would.”

“A slap would’ve been enough.” Leon said.

Sora shook his head. “Nope. It had to be a head but ‘cause you’re stubborn. It was the only way it would probably get through your thick skull.”

“You probably would’ve been better off slapping me.” Leon said.

Sora stuck his tongue out at Leon as he continued to rub his forehead. Leon watched him and he couldn’t help but feel a smile on his lips. Leave it to Sora to go with the crazy alternative. Even if Sora had tried to slap him, Leon would’ve been able to stop it on sheer reflex and he was sure Sora knew that as well. It was probably the reason why Sora decided to head but him instead.

Leon chuckled, calling the attention of Sora. As he stared at Sora, Leon knew Sora’s argument was right. Everything he said was right on. Leon sighed. Between the two of them, Sora was the most stubborn.

“I’m not going to instantly like that human over night.” Leon said, turning away. Sora blinked, not sure if he had heard correctly. He swam around Leon, facing him.

“Leon? You mean…”

“I can at least tolerate him.” Leon said with a stubborn look. A grin broke out on Sora’s face as he launched himself at Leon, hugging him tightly. At least something had gotten through to Leon. Sora realized that Leon wouldn’t immediately come to like Riku right away. He would’ve been suspicious of Leon if that were the case.

“Thank you, Leon.” Sora said. Leon smiled as he patted Sora’s head.

“We’ll talk to the King later to see what happens next.” Leon said.

Sora, to Leon’s surprise, shook his head as he pushed himself away from Leon. The smile was gone from his face. Sora clasped his hands together as he took a calming breath. He still had one thing to do and it was hurting him inside that he had to follow through with it.

“I won’t stay here. I won’t be running off back to the surface either.” Sora added, answering the look on Leon’s face. “I’m still in my Grace Period. Cloud told me what I have to do but I can’t stay here or with Riku.” Leon’s eyes narrowed as he caught Sora’s implications.

“You don’t have to leave, Sora.” He said.

Sora remained quiet. He had to leave. Whatever reasons Leon might come up with, whether they were sound and logical; Sora knew he wouldn’t be able to stay. He looked behind Leon as he noticed his turtle swim towards him. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as it reached him.

Sora reached out and held the turtle in his hands. It looked up at him. He took a deep breath in and looked back at Leon.

“You already know what I have to go through, don’t you.” Sora stated. Leon reluctantly nodded. “Then I don’t want to worry Riku. Rather, I don’t want him to see me during that time.”

“The last thing you want to do is go through the process alone. At least stay here in the Kingdom and I’ll have the King issue an order to let your human come and go as he please.” Leon offered. Sora shook his head. He smiled sadly as he released the turtle. “Have you told him?”

Sora shook his head again. “I was hoping I could silently leave while they were sleeping but Roxas saw through my act and he caught me trying to walk away then Riku appeared and I freaked and ran away. I have to get going.”

Sora looked behind Leon again and another smile appeared on his face. His octopus swam towards him and wrapped its tentacles around Sora’s forearm. The suction cups made him giggle and he looked down as the turtle bumped its head against Sora’s belly.

It expectantly looked back up at Sora’s face.

“Okay,” Sora said. “I’ll take you two with me.” Sora grabbed the turtle and he began to swim towards the gap in the wall. Leon watched him, not making a move to stop him. Sora paused as he stared out at the expansive sea. Leon noticed that his shoulders shook.

“Sora, you’re hurting yourself enough as it is. Stay.” Leon pleaded.

It hurt him to see Sora like that and he wished he could understand what exactly Sora was thinking. He regretted that he was the one who forced Sora into this ultimatum. If he had known things would end up like they were, he never would’ve asked Wakka to push Sora into his Grace Period.

The only other person who could possibly understand Sora’s emotions at the moment was Cloud. Sora hiccupped loudly and Leon focused back to Sora. His shoulders were hunched and he was hugging himself.

“Leon,” Sora’s voice sounded cracked, as he was trying to keep his composure. He gripped his arms tightly as he kept whatever self-control he could. “Please, please, tell Riku that I’m sorry. And that if he’ll forgive me.”

“I will.” Leon said.

Sora nodded, biting his lower lip. “…thank you.” Sora began swimming away, slowly at first then faster.

He clutched the turtle to his chest and the octopus held on tightly as Sora gained speed. He didn’t know where he was going but he followed Cloud’s direction. He trusted in his instincts and they told him to swim as far away from the Kingdom as possible.

Sora finally let himself cry silently as he swam away.

He refused to say goodbye, neither spoken or in his mind. He wasn’t permanently leaving Riku. Sora just needed to be away for while. It didn’t lessen the fact that he chose to leave. Cloud himself told him that he didn’t need to leave. All he needed was to follow his instincts.

Yet, it was his instincts that told him he needed to leave in order to be with Riku. Sora shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he pumped his tail faster.

“Please forgive me, Riku.”

\------

Roxas looked around the entrance. No one was around, or rather; he didn’t see a mass of soldiers come at them. He was expecting some sort of confrontation but there was no one there.

He very cautiously swam towards the entrance with Axel and Riku. He couldn’t help but feel something was wrong. Axel took a look around, noting the same thing as well. Riku swam ahead of them, heading towards the entrance.

“Riku, wait.” Roxas called out.

“I’m not waiting anymore.” Riku said as he swam through the entrance. He suddenly stopped. Ahead of him was Leon, waiting for him. Riku growled as he glared at him. Roxas and Axel caught up to him.

“Where the hell is Sora?” Riku growled.

Leon, though he promised he would try to like Sora’s mate, he was finding it difficult with that kind of attitude. He remained silent as he stared at Riku. He wondered what Sora could possibly see in the human. Roxas stared at the Leon and Riku. He could practically feel the tension between them.

“Stop trying to intimidate the poor human, Leon.” Naminé peeked from behind Leon. She waved to Riku and swam towards him. Riku blinked in surprise as she swam up to him. “Don’t mind Leon too much. His face is always like that.”

“What’s going on?” Riku asked, confused. Why were they being greeted rather than chased? He looked over at Roxas who shrugged. He was just as confused as Riku was. Riku looked back at Naminé and noticed the sad smile on her lips.

“I’m sorry, Riku, but Sora left.”

“What do you mean he left?”

Leon looked away. Naminé sighed as she swam back towards Leon. She grabbed his hand and gave him a stern look.

Leon scratched his chin as he gave in. He was surrounded by stubborn little title-holders. He swam forward towards Riku but not as close as Naminé had gone. Naminé stayed by his side as Leon looked at Riku.

“Listen human,” Leon started. Naminé quickly jabbed her elbow into Leon’s side. It didn’t hurt but it was an annoyance. “Riku,” He corrected. “Sora left the palace. He wouldn’t give me the exact reason why he had to leave but I know that he left to stop his Grace Period.”

“Stop it? I thought he already did?”

Naminé shook her head. “I think he didn’t want to worry you so he lied.” Riku clenched his hands into fists. He didn’t trust the Leon but he had no reason to distrust the girl. She looked apologetically sincere.

Naminé swam towards Riku and reached out, touching the back of his fists. “Please don’t doubt Sora. I know for a fact that he loves you. The fact that he went out to stop his Grace Period means he’s coming back. Can you please wait for him?”

Riku pulled his hands away from her touch and turned around, swimming back towards the entrance. Axel called out to Riku but was ignored. Everyone was silent.

“Riku,” Leon called out. Riku stopped but he didn’t turn around to look at the merman. “He was upset that he had to leave you. Sora asked me to tell you that he’s sorry. And if you’ll ever forgive him.” Riku paused before he started to swim away again.

Axel nudged Roxas and the blond nodded. Axel quickly kissed Roxas goodbye as he swam after Riku. Roxas swam towards Naminé and Leon.

“What do we do now?” Roxas asked.

Leon stared at Riku’s retreating figure. He had seen something flash momentarily in Riku’s eye before he left. He wasn’t sure what it was but gut feeling made him believe that Riku wouldn’t dismiss Sora from his life.

He remembered glimpsing that same look from another human. It was something akin to determination. He sighed and gently shook his head, shaking away memories. He promised Sora he wouldn’t think of the past.

“We wait.” He said. That was the only thing any of them could do.


	28. Chapter 28

“Terra! Aqua! C’mon!” Ventus shouted. He leaned forward, racing along the path on his glider.

It wasn’t often that all three of them would go to the beach together. Or that the weather would be nice enough to let them have the occasional beach day during the autumn. Terra and Aqua usually worked but it was Saturday and they both promised to keep the day free.

And, while it wasn’t difficult to get to the beach from the mountains, it was a tedious trip. Ven grinned as he raced faster, his glider hovering inches off the ground. He looked behind him, making sure they were close behind.

“Keep your eyes ahead, Ven!” Aqua shouted. Ven nodded as he looked ahead. With their gliders, they were able to make it to the beach shore in fifteen minutes rather than an hour if they had walked.

Ven skidded to a stop, kicking up sand as it came to a stop. He hopped off and quickly pulled his shirt off. Terra and Aqua came to stop behind him, hopping off their gliders. Aqua unloaded a cooler as Terra set a large blanket on the sand.

Ven looked towards the horizon, the sun shining brightly high in the sky. He kicked off his shoes and tossed them aside as he stood up again, burying his toes in the warm sand.

“How long are we staying?” Terra asked.

“Until I turn into a prune!” Ven shouted as he ran towards the water. Terra and Aqua chuckled as they watched Ven run off. Terra took his shirt of and tossed it on the blanket. He, like Ven, was already wearing his swim trunks.

“Are you coming?” Terra asked.

Aqua nodded, “In a bit, I’ll just set things up here.” She said. Terra nodded and he jogged towards the shore.

Ven was already in the water, waist deep and heading even further. He loved looking down at the crystal-clear water. He could see tiny fishes dart away from him with every step. He heard splashing behind him and he turned around. No one was behind him.

Curious, he looked around and took a step towards the beach when he felt something grab his hips. Ven screamed, scrambling away as quickly as the water allowed him. Terra surfaced, laughing loudly as Ven stopped, turning back around to glare at him.

“That was not funny!” Ven shouted. Terra slicked back his wet hair from his eyes, grinning.

“Of course it was funny.” He said. Ven smirked as he began splashing Terra. Terra raised his arm, blocking most of the water.

Ven laughed, creeping closer while still bombarding Terra with water. Ven lunged forward but Terra sidestepped him. The blond stumbled and fell, momentarily submerged. He quickly steadied his legs and stood up, breaking through the surface. He pushed back his wet bangs and looked around. Terra was gone again.

Out on the beach, he could see Aqua starting to walk towards the water. Ven looked around again, noticing a large wavy figure swimming towards him from behind. He grinned and quickly sidestepped Terra’s hands. He dived underneath and quickly clung to Terra’s back.

He grinned as Terra tried to throw Ven off by rolling around before he had to surface for air. Terra gave in and stood up, taking in a lungful of fresh air. Ven, still on Terra’s back, smiled triumphantly.

“I win.” Ven sang.

“You’re like an octopus with those arms of yours.” Terra said.

“The better to cling you with, my darling.” Ven said with a cackle at the end. Terra smiled and he looked behind him. Aqua smiled at the two, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She was about to speak when a large sprout of water gushed upwards from the surface near them, almost fifty feet away.

“What is that?” Terra wondered. A second later, almost as it was an answer to Terra, they heard a loud deep, almost mourning, cry of a whale. Ven looked towards the sea and he could see the back of a Blue whale. Then he noticed several dorsal fins circling the whale.

“I think that whale is being attacked.” Ven said as he looked at Aqua. She stepped closer and they continued to look on. Another gusher sprayed upwards and Ven noticed something else. He squinted and leaned forward then gasped.

“There’s someone on the whale!” Ven yelled.

Terra flinched. Ven shouted right next to his ear. Ven quickly apologized and jumped off Terra’s back.

“Aqua, there really is someone on that whale.” Almost as if the whale was agreeing with Ven, it cried out another mournful tone. “We have to help.”

“I’ll go check it out.” Terra said as he began swimming towards the whale. It was a long swim as the whale had made sure it wasn’t close enough to the shore where it risked the chance of being beached.

With powerful strokes, Terra was close to the whale in no time. He looked around keeping an eye on the circling dorsal fins. Something felt strange. He took a deep breath in and dived.

He almost lost his breath as he felt completely dwarfed by the sheer size of the Blue whale. Terra looked around and noticed several kinds of dolphins and fishes swimming around the whale. Something was definitely strange.

Terra surfaced and he looked along the visible backside of the whales’ back. Just as Ven had said, there really was someone of the whale’s back. The whale sang again, another low mournful cry.

Terra cautiously swam towards the whale. It didn’t move nor did it try to move away from Terra. Terra reached out and pressed his hand on the slick skin of the whales’. He flinched away when the whale suddenly sunk a bit. Then it didn’t move again.

Terra looked at the figure on the whales’ back and he very cautiously reached out. When he pressed his hands against the whale’s skin, he realized that it sunk lower to let Terra easily get onto his back. He clambered on without a problem and stood still for second. He looked back towards the shallow shore and saw Ven frantically waving at him.

It was pretty ridiculous but he was standing on the back of a wild animal. If it decided to submerged, he and the body would be sucked into the water by the sheer force of the Blue whale simply diving. He nervously chuckled as he focused his attention back to the lifeless figure.

Terra calmed his nerve as he slowly walked towards the figure. When he came close enough to the body, his eyes widened. He looked just like Vanitas, only his hair was a mahogany color and his build was just a tad bit smaller than Vanitas’s. Terra kneeled down beside the body, propping him up in his arms.

“Hey, wake up.” Terra said. Sora remained lifeless. Terra became worried as he didn’t respond.

He looked down at the unconscious body. Beside the fact that he was naked, there seemed to be nothing physically wrong with it. The only thing he wore was a necklace with a gem on it. The gem sparkled and gleamed and he noticed something shining rather dully inside of it.

“Please don’t be dead.” Terra said as he gently shook the body. The gently rocking made Sora brow furrow. Terra watched as Sora slowly opened his eyes.

His vision was blurred and he had a hard time moving his head. He could tell someone was holding him up and it took great effort to move his head to the side. The sun glared down at him so he couldn’t clearly see the person’s face.

He groaned softly, his head rolling back to the side. He was so tired and exhausted. He couldn’t remember much. Everything was fragmented. Something was keeping Sora’s memories at bay. And that something flared up again, sending his body into painful convulsions.

A voiceless scream tore through his mouth.

Terra panicked for a split second before he recomposed himself. He lifted Sora into his arms and carried him off the whale. Terra jumped back into the sea with Sora. He couldn’t swim properly, with Sora still shaking and convulse in his arms. A shiver ran through Terra as he felt something slick brush past his legs.

Then he suddenly found himself moving and felt something slick but solid underneath his feet.

To his utter surprise, the dolphins that were around the whale were helping Terra back to the shore. He could feel a couple of heads pressed against his back, keeping him upright. The whole event felt surreal. Behind him, the whale cried one last long note before it submerged and disappeared. Terra held the body closer.

Whoever he was, Terra had the feeling that he was important. When the waters became shallow, the dolphins dispersed. His feet touched the sandy floor and he was able to walk the rest of the way. Aqua and Ven rushed towards him, their faces full of concern.

“Whoa, he looks like Vanitas,” Ven said. “He looks hurt.”

“I think he is.” Aqua reached forward and pressed her hand against his forehead. “He’s running a fever. Let’s get him back into town.” She said.

Terra nodded and all three of them rushed back to their things. When they got to the blanket, Terra noticed that Sora wasn’t shaking anymore. Worried, he looked over at Aqua and motioned her to him. Aqua grabbed Sora’s limp wrist and pressed her finger against the inside of his wrist.

“Is he alive?”

“Don’t worry. His heart is still beating.” She said. Ven let out a sigh of relief as he looked at him. Terra walked over to his glider and hopped on it. Ven reached out and helped Terra hold Sora as he positioned Sora’s limp body in front of him.

“Go on ahead, Terra.” Aqua said. “Ven and I will quickly collect our things and join you as soon as we can. Call the doctor as soon as you get home.” Terra nodded.

Ven and Aqua backed off as Terra raced off towards the path to town. Ven gathered up the towels and folded the blanket as Aqua hauled the cooler back onto the platform of her glider.

“Are you set?” She asked. Ven nodded and he raced off with Aqua right behind him.

\------

> _For the first three months, Sora spent as much time as he could with all the sea creatures he came across with._
> 
> _He became part of the family in a pod of dolphins, swimming with them and enjoying their company. He swam with various schools of fishes, especially amongst the Neon Tetras. He would sleep near coral reefs and in hidden caves from the creatures he asked._
> 
> _Sora even slept on the back of a hunchback whale when he swam with a pod of them. He wanted to spend as much time as he could because he knew he would miss them once he couldn’t talk to them anymore. The octopus and turtle he traveled with never left his side._
> 
> _Sora had told them what he was doing and they told him they would stick by until the end. Sora protected them from their natural preys, scolding a baby shark once when it had tried to take a bite of the turtle._
> 
> _Of course, he was always thinking about Riku and the others. He knew he left without much explanation to them but Sora didn’t want to concern Riku. From what Cloud had explained to him, cancelling his Grace Period and losing, essentially a part of who he is, wasn’t going to be pretty. Sora would’ve gone on; probably spending more time with the inhabitants of the sea but Riku was always at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to get back to Riku as soon as he could. With that in mind, while sitting on the back of a blue whale after four months of saying his farewells, Sora began to sing._
> 
> _It was a song Cloud explained to him. Every mermaid and mermen had a song they were born with. It was their personal song and the only purpose of that song was to stop the Grace Period if need be._
> 
> _Sora remembered Leon briefly mentioning it but Sora never paid it much mind, pushing it to the back of his mind when he was small. Back then it didn’t concern him, now it did. Though there was a backlash if Sora ever wanted to sing the song, and Sora had understood why Leon never explained it._
> 
> _Because he was the Pincoy, his song affected him deeply than others._
> 
> _His voice rang out, the words of the ancient language drifting around him. He could feel the melody wrap itself around him and to the creatures around him. The blue whale went silent. Sora didn’t notice that the whale had gone silent as he felt a strange stirring inside of him._
> 
> _It started from his fingertips, the curious sensation of something slowly being pulled out of him. Sora didn’t pay it any mind as he kept on singing and the feeling just kept crawling closer to his torso. He started whispering his song when he felt it. The curious feeling suddenly turned into pain._
> 
> _He yelped and gripped his arm. It felt like a hot flame had begun burning inside him. The turtle that was resting on his lap looked up at Sora in concern._
> 
> _“I don’t know,” Sora said. “I think I have to keep on singing through the pain.” He looked at his arm. He was scared to go on. What if the pain went past his arm and to the rest of his body?_
> 
> _Cloud did mention the pain but he didn’t need to explain it. From the hints he had dropped, Sora had picked up that he wasn’t going to enjoy the process. Sora clenched his teeth as he braced himself._
> 
> _“I’m going to do this.”_

\------

For the first week, all Sora did was sleep.

Sora couldn’t keep himself awake. Every time he tried to stay awake for more than a few minutes, the pain would crash over him. Unbearable pain, like hot fire coursing through his veins, burning him from the inside out. The only way to escape the after effect was through sleep.

There were rare times when he would stay awake for more than an hour. During those times, the people that found him would take care of him. The most frequent visitor was a blue-haired woman with a kind face.

Whenever she stopped by, Sora always smiled, not matter who weak or feeble the smile felt. He would usually think about her face until a new wave of pain crashed through him. Then he forgot about every conscious thought as he tried to keep the focus away from the pain.

It was Sunday, a week later, after he’d been rescued when he was able to stay conscious for more than an hour or two.  Sora felt a bit stronger as looked up at the ceiling. The lights were dimmed and the shades drawn to keep the sunlight out.

Sora yawned as he slowly sat upright. He looked around the room. It was a small room but cozy. He looked up at the ceiling and noticed several mobiles hanging from the ceiling. There was a mobile that looked like it had the shape of the paopu fruit hanging from it.

Beside him, on the wall next to his bed was a window. He shuffled towards the window and pushed it open. He squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the light.

On the horizon, rather than being greeted by the sea, was a mountain range. He looked on in awe. He’d seen dozens of mountains underneath the sea but they never looked as breathtaking as the one he was staring at. Sora closed the window and continued to look around the room.

Near the door, on both sides were book shelves, filled with books and various little trinkets. He lifted his right arm to scratch his arm when something tugged at his hand. He stared at his hand as he saw a thick piece of white square gauze cover his hand. There was a small tube coming from his hand to a bag hanging upside down on a thin metal pole. It wasn’t bothering him so he left it alone.

He was startled when someone knocked at the door. He looked at the door then relaxed when he saw it was the blue-haired lady. She smiled as she walked towards Sora, sitting down on the bed. She reached out and pressed her cool hand against Sora’s forehead.

“It looks like your fever went down.” She said. Sora raised his hand and touched his forehead. It felt hotter than usual and he looked at her. “It was much hotter before.” She answered. “You’ve been slipping in and out of consciousness this past week.” She pushed back his bangs and held Sora’s hand, placing them within her own.

“I’m Aqua.”

“ _I’m Sora._ ” Sora voicelessly replied. Sora furrowed his brow and he said his name again. He couldn’t hear his voice. Sora frowned as he realized what was going on. It was another part of the process of losing the Pincoy part of himself.

Cloud had reassured that his voice would return though he didn’t mention how long that would take. Aqua gently touched Sora’s shoulder and he flinched, focusing away from his thoughts as he stared at the girl with a kind smile.

“Can you talk?” She asked. Sora nodded then he stopped and shook his head. Aqua chuckled as she stood up. She walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a large notepad and a pen. She went back to Sora’s side and handed him the things. “Here, you can write it down, instead.”

Sora nodded as he grabbed the notepad and pen. Luckily, one of the lessons he had to take was writing. Leon, naturally, objected at the time but Sora threatened to stop singing until Leon finally caved. It was very hard to say no to a young Sora, even for Leon. He scribbled down his name and showed it to Aqua.

“So your name is Sora.” She said. Sora nodded as he wrote in the note pad again. He held it out to her and she read it. “Right now, you’re in Ventus’s room. As for the town, it’s not much of a town really. A tiny little town nestled in-between the mountains inside a valley.” Sora looked out the window again. He reached for the notepad and scribbled down a question then he showed it to Aqua.

“How did you get here?” She read loudly. “Well, I’m not sure if you’ll believe me when I tell you. Ven spotted you on the back of a Blue whale and Terra rescued you from its back.” Sora nodded.

He remembered the whale and he was thankful it had let him stay with him while he had sung through the whole ordeal. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“ _I don’t_.” Sora mouthed. He grabbed the notebook and scribbled in it. He held it to Aqua.

“The whale was your friend.” Sora nodded and he smiled warmly.

“And the dolphins?” Aqua asked. Sora looked at her, puzzled. He didn’t remember them there when he had fainted the first time. Sora sighed as he scratched his head. He pointed at the notebook and nodded.

“They were your friends too?” She asked. Sora nodded and he grabbed the notebook again. He scribbled in the note book again and showed it to Aqua. She read his note and smiled gently. “You don’t have to explain who you are now. Right now, the only thing I want you to do is recover. You still have a fever and you’ve seemed to have lost a lot of weight.”

Sora pointed at the IV bag on the pole and to the needle in his arm. “ _What is that_?” He mouthed.

“It’s an IV drip. You were dehydrated and you couldn’t keep most of the food we gave you whenever you were conscious.” Sora nodded then his stomach growled. He blushed as he looked away while Aqua chuckled. “I’ll go bring you something easy to eat.” She said. Sora nodded again as Aqua left the room.

He pulled the covers off, noticing that someone had dressed him into a pair of black cotton pants. The shirt we wore was large on his small frame. He raised his hand to touch his necklace but all he touched was his neck. He wasn’t wearing his necklaces yet he had legs.

He closed his eyes and tried to sense for some little spark of magic but he couldn’t feel anything. It was all gone. Sora looked around the room again. He wanted to find the necklace. It had more meaning than simply allowing him to have legs. Riku had given him the gem. That, in itself, was what really mattered to Sora at this point.

Luckily, he didn’t have to walk out of bed. When he looked behind him, there it was on a shelf on the wall. He grabbed it and smiled, untying the clasp as he placed it around his neck.

Almost instantly, Sora felt sick. He gagged and pulled the necklace away from his body. The sick feeling vanished. He curiously looked at his necklace. Nothing happened from just holding it. Sora tried to the tie the necklace around his neck again and the sudden wave of nausea washed over him. He pulled the necklace away from him and sighed.

His now magic-less body couldn’t cope with the magic stored inside the gem. He placed it back on the shelf behind him. If anything, since he couldn’t wear it, at least he’ll be able to hold it.

“Hey, you’re awake!”

Sora looked towards the door entrance and his eyes widened. It was Roxas. Or, rather, he looked like Roxas. They were exactly identical but just from the way the Roxas look-a-like presented himself; Sora knew it actually wasn’t him. Ven smiled as he walked over to Sora’s side and sat down on the bed.

“I’m Ventus but you can call me Ven.” He greeted. Sora nodded and grabbed the notebook, pointing to his name.

“Sora, okay,” Ven said then he added, “You can’t talk?” Sora nodded, pressing his hand against his throat. “Y’know, you have a pretty nasty looking scar on your chest.” Sora blinked, looking down at his chest. He began to wonder how he could have known when he realized they probably saw him naked.

Sora looked at him then down to his covered chest. He smiled and pulled his shirt off and Ven couldn’t help but stare at it. Ven blushed and he looked away.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to stare at it. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” He said. Sora shook his head, writing down that he was fine. “Do you mind if I touch it?” He asked. Sora smiled and he grabbed Ven’s hand and placed it on his chest. Ventus prodded his fingers against the healed flesh. “Did it hurt?”

Sora had to think about it.

Of course it had hurt but it hadn’t hurt as much as he had thought. His main priority at the time was getting Riku out of Leon’s way. He nodded and grabbed the notebook. Before he could write anything down, a sudden wave of pain washed over him. He hunched over, gasping as he shut his eyes tight.

He could hear Ven call out Aqua’s name but he sounded far off. Every part of him hurt, like a sharp stabbing pain, and he felt an urge to go to the ocean. His body was reacting violently to the sudden loss of something important. Cloud mentioned he would feel the urge but the song was irreversible.

In Cloud’s words, he was close to human without actually being born a human. Luckily, the attack didn’t last as long as previous ones’ and it wasn’t painful enough to leave him unconscious. When he looked up, Aqua and Ven were nervously watching him. Aqua quickly rushed over with a cloth and wiped the sweat from Sora’s face. Without knowing what was hurting Sora, they couldn’t help him with the pain.

“Lay back down.” She said. “You’re still not well.” Sora shook his head. He was tired of lying down. He grabbed the note book and quickly wrote down that he was fine. Aqua made a face like she didn’t quite believe him but she nodded either way. “Well, while you’re sitting upright, you’ll just have to eat what you can.”

\------

Sora stared at the ocean, his sight on the early morning horizon. No matter how much he tried, even if he couldn’t hear the voices of his sea creature friends anymore, Sora still loved the ocean very much.

It was an undeniable part of who he was. Sora stood up, brushing the sand off his hands as he walked further onto the shore until the gentle waves crashed over his bare feet. He kneeled down as the water receded then tumbled back in its never ending rhythm. He cupped his hands and dipped them into the water. Sora lifted his hand and watched the water drip through his fingers.

He went to grab the necklaces we always wore but when he grabbed nothing but his neck, he looked down and realized he didn’t need to wear the necklace anymore. After all, it did make him feel ill. It was a habit that Sora knew he would have to eventually stop.

“Sora! There you are.”

Sora looked behind him, noticing Aqua running up to him. Sora stood to his feet and began walking away from the sea, towards Aqua.

“You must really love the ocean to make the climb down here.” She said. Sora smiled.  As close as the mountain was to the sea, it was still a long journey to make, nearly an hour by walking.

“Let’s go back. You still haven’t recovered well enough to make these walks by yourself. You can always ask Terra or I.” She said.

“ _I know_.” Sora had to slowly mouth his words.

That was the only way he could communicate with others. He didn’t need to use the note book much, only if he wanted to explain something. Besides from that, simple gestures were enough to convey a message and they had gotten quite good at reading Sora’s lips.

“Yet you’ve never asked since you’d woken up weeks ago.” Aqua teasingly said. “Well, let’s get going. Ven has another day planned out for you.” She hopped onto her glider and Sora stayed where he was.

Cars he was okay with since they touched the actual ground. He had a whole other issue with Aqua’s glider since it didn’t touch the ground unless it was parked. Aqua had assured that it could only hover a couple of inches off the ground, the fact that it still didn’t run across the ground like a car bothered him.

A merman he would always be and mermen did not belong in the air, not matter how high they were from the ground. Aqua held out her hand and Sora reluctantly took it. She helped him onto the platform and Sora clung to Aqua, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Just close your eyes like you usually do and you’ll be fine.” Aqua said. Sora nodded into her back as he did so. Of course, Sora couldn’t help but open his eyes. His curiosity always got the best of him.

He stared at the fast moving ground, deciding he’d rather see the ground than the scenery itself.

\------

“Sora! There you are!” Ven shouted, waving to Sora as Aqua slowed the glider to a stop near him. Sora quickly scrambled off, glad to feel solid ground under his feet. Sora walked over to Ven’s side, whom was laughing at him. Sora pouted and jabbed Ven’s side with his finger. Ven clutched his side though he still grinned.

“Where’s Terra?” Aqua asked.

“He’s talking with Eraqus over at the academy.” Ven said.

“Alright, I’ll give him a call later. Don’t wander away too far.” She said. Ven nodded as he grabbed Sora’s hand and began leading him towards the park.

He really wanted to show Sora the summit but he would still fall into lapse of pain. Sora had assured them there was nothing to worry about. Sora smiled as he grabbed Ven’s hand and ran towards the shade of a large oak tree. He sat down on the ground and Ven joined him, sitting down in front of him.

“ _Who is Eraqus?”_ Sora mouthed.

“Eraqus? He teaches sword fighting at the academy.” He said.

“ _Do you use a sword?_ ” Sora asked.

Ven nodded. “Terra gave me his old wooden blade and I have my own that is suited to the way I hold my blade.” Sora tilted his head to the side, confused a tiny bit. “I have a backhanded grip so instead of the blade being held in front of me, it’s behind me.”

“ _Cid would like you._ ” Sora said with a smile.

“Cid? He’s that Guardian who trains soldiers, right?” Ven asked. Sora nodded. “So…can I ask more about where you’re from?”

Sora chuckled as he nodded. “ _What else do you want to know?_ ”

“Well, I want to know more about Roxas. You said the other day he looked like me.”

“ _But his personality is different,_ ” Sora mouthed. He pulled the messenger bag Aqua had given him onto his lap and pulled out his note book and pen. He scribbled down several words and handed the notebook over to Ven. “ _He is a lot calmer and stoic but he gets angry easily._ ”

“He sounds like he’ll be fun to tease.” Ven said.

Sora grinned, agreeing with him. He grabbed the notebook and stuffed it back into his bag. Ven handed Sora the pen. “Let’s head inside. I want you to try DDR again.”

“ _So you can laugh at me when I try it_.” Sora mouthed, grinning as he stood up.

“You can make fun of me too.”

\------

As each day passed, Sora’s body was slowly becoming used to being without the Pincoy’s magic. The lapse of pain decreased until instead of experiencing more than twice a day he would probably feel it once a week.

The only thing that didn’t change was his nights. He couldn’t get a good night sleep. While he slept, the constant resonating throb was too much of a distraction. If he was lucky, he could probably get an hour or two of sleep. He would use the day time to take a few naps to catch up on sleep.

The restless nights gradually became better as another few weeks passed by. But, no matter how ill he felt or if he was in pain, Sora would always get up earlier than anyone else and make the hour walk down the mountain path to the beach.

He would sit on the still-cold sand and stare at the horizon every morning without fail.

He would watch the sun rise over the horizon, its warming ray lighting up the surface of the sea with glimmering spots. He would sit still and let the sun warm the sand and light up the day and wait until Ven, Aqua, or Terra, they liked to alternate, came to take him back home.

On the morning of Christmas, Sora, as usual, woke up earlier than everyone else. They had decorated the house in tinsel and wreaths. Red and gold ribbons hung from the ceiling and wall. In the corner of the living room was a large Christmas tree, beautifully decorated with all sorts of sparkling assortments.

At the top of the tree was a star that lit up. There were several presents underneath the tree. Ven, Aqua, and Terra had included Sora into their plans. He smiled when he saw a large stocking full of goodies hanging from the wall with his name on it. He was almost tempted to reach and start looking around but Ven had repeatedly told him that he couldn’t look inside of it until the morning of Christmas.

Even though it was the morning of Christmas, Sora was pretty sure Ven meant with everyone awake and present. Sora walked away, down the hallway towards the front door. Then he quickly made a U-turn and backtracked to his room, grabbing the red Santa hat Aqua bought him. He placed it on his head, went back to the front door, putting on his sneakers, and stepped out.

The weather outside wasn’t hot island worthy but it wasn’t cold enough to make it snow. He was given a coat by Aqua; a simple black hooded leather coat with intricate drawstrings that Sora couldn’t help but fondle.

By the time Sora reached the beach, the sun was starting to rise over the horizon, slowly lighting up the cold beach. Sora kicked off his sneakers and stepped on to the sand, burying his toes into it. The sand was cold but Sora wanted to feel of it on his toes.

He walked along the beach, occasionally looking at the sea with a pondering thought about what was going on with everyone else. He felt so disconnected from everyone. Sora sighed, pulling his eyes away from the shore when something near the waves caught his eyes.

Naturally, Sora walked over to it and realized it was a turtle that was pushing itself on shore. Sora kneeled down in front of it and his eyes widened. He smiled and picked the turtle up. It was the same turtle that had always accompanied him since he was the small. He petted the shell and set the turtle down. Then he laid down on his stomach in front of the turtle, propping his head on his hands.

“ _I…_ ” He stopped, realizing that he could no longer communicate with him. His smile dropped a bit and he looked away. The turtle wouldn’t understand him either.

Even though Sora had already come to some sort of term to it, actually realizing that he could no longer talk to his sea creature friend hurt him. He couldn’t even speak. Sora sat upright and the turtle looked up at him. Instead of crying, Sora chuckled softly.

He knew that look well enough.

He didn’t need the ancient language to understand what the turtle was saying. Sora unzipped his coat and tossed it aside, away from the waves. He picked up the turtle and walked into the cold water until he was waist deep.

He set the turtle into the water and it turned around, giving Sora one last look. He felt something brush against his leg and he looked down. It was the octopus. Now he wanted to cry. The turtle nudged its head against Sora’s belly, getting his attention. Sora chuckled and he nodded. With one last look, the turtle and the octopus swam off to their own separate ways.

“ _Thank you_.”

“Sora!”

Sora turned around, hearing Terra’s voice. He looked worried. Sora hurried out of the water, his lower half dripping wet. Terra had Sora’s coat in his arms. Sora sheepishly grinned as a shiver went through him.

“ _You are here early._ ” Sora said.

“We didn’t want to start opening the presents without you,” Terra said, leading him back to his glider. “What were you doing out there?” Sora looked back at the ocean. He looked away and waited until Terra had mounted his glider.

“ _I was saying goodbye to dear friends of mine_. _They gave me a message._ ”

“What did they say?” Terra asked.

“ _They said I’ll be fine._ ” Simple words but Sora knew he was going to treasure those words. Terra smiled and held out his hand, helping Sora climb on behind him. Sora held onto Terra’s waist with a death grip.

He really didn’t like their gliders.

“I agree with your friends,” Terra said. “We might not know the whole story yet but we know you’ll be fine. Now, let’s head back and get you into something dry before we start opening our presents.”

\------

“Here, these are yours.” Aqua said, handing Sora three wrapped gifts. He was sitting on the floor, beside Ven near the Christmas tree, going through his stocking when Aqua had set the presents down in front of him.

The presents were wrapped in a bright and colorful paper with little images of Santa Clause scattered around. On top of each box was a shiny ribbon, one box had a green ribbon, another had a blue one, and the last one a gold ribbon. He looked up at Aqua, surprised.

“ _Really?_ ” He asked.

“Of course,” Aqua said. “We consider you our friend.” Sora looked back at his presents then back up at Aqua.

“ _Thank you_.” He mouthed, smiling. Ven smiled and grabbed the small present with the blue ribbon on it.

“Here, open this one first. It’s from Aqua.” Sora nodded and he took the present from Ven.

He ran his hand along the length of the side and ripped away the wrapping. The wrapping fell away, revealing the slim white box. He pulled off the top and picked up the charm. It was a five-pointed star.

The stain glass was the exact same color of the as a cloudless sky. In the middle was a silver charm, the top half was the shape of a heart curving down to a three-pronged end. Sora smiled, running his finger over the stained glass. He placed it around his neck, clasping together the little lock at the back as he let it rest against the base of his neck. He ran his finger along the silver frame, cherishing his present.

“It’s a Wayfinder,” Aqua said, kneeling in front of him. “Since Thalassa shells can only be found on Destiny Island, I created our own version. It represents the bond we created and is a good luck charm.”

Sora looked down at his necklace, at the beautiful charm Aqua gave him. He launched himself at Aqua, causing her to topple back as he hugged her. Aqua smiled, laughing lightly as she patted his head. Saying goodbye to his lifelong turtle friend didn’t make him cry but having Aqua give him the charm was making him teary-eyed.

Sora pulled away, sitting back against the chair.

“ _Thank you, Aqua_.” Sora mouthed, rubbing the corner of his eyes. Ven grinned and he handed Sora the present with green ribbon.

“Before you open the other one, open my gift next.” Ven said. Sora looked at him than back at the present. He pulled away the wrapping and took the top off the box. Inside were three black spray cans with purple tops. Sora grabbed one of the cans and looked at it closely. He couldn’t understand what it was.

He looked up from the box, at Ven, when he saw him holding up the same spray can but the top was green. Confused, he looked at Aqua and Terra and they too had spray cans. The top on Aqua’s was blue and Terra’s was gold.

“ _Ven?_ ”

He grinned as he popped the top of the can, exposing the small white nozzle. He shook the can and aimed at Sora. Two other popping noises were heard from behind him. Sora looked around; spray cans were aimed at his direction.

“Merry Christmas!” They shouted and fired.

Colorful silly strings erupted from the nozzles, all of them landing on top of Sora. Sora quickly shut his eyes then opened them again slowly. Foamy strings of green, blue, and gold were draped all over his arms and head. Sora pulled the strings away and he smiled. He quickly caught on.

He grabbed another spray can and scrambled away from the others, hiding behind the couch as he popped the tops off.

“The rules are as followed,” Ven shouted. “There are no rules!”

\------

In no short time, the day came to an end.

The entire living room was covered in silly string. There were even bits of string hanging from the ceiling. The dining room table was full empty plates and half of a strawberry cake. Wrapping paper was strewn across the floor near the Christmas tree.

Ven was on the floor, snoring happily next to Terra who was also asleep. Aqua was on the couch, stretched out rather comfortably as she slept. Sora was beside Ven, having just woken up. Sometime between when they finished eating dinner and watching a few films they had fallen asleep.

The lights were dim down. Most of the light came from the sparkling tree. Sora yawned; stretching his arms above his head as he lazily looked around. He crawled away from Ven as he stood to his feet. He ran his hand through his hair, bits of gold and green strings falling down from his hair as he walked towards his room.

Terra’s gift was a set of wood carvings of various sea creatures. In his room, Sora climbed onto his bed and grabbed Ven’s real gift. It was a large warm body pillow. He opened up the window, hugging his warm gift, as he stared at the star filled night.

It didn’t take long for Sora to start nodding off to sleep again. It was taking effort to keep his eyes open. Sora yawned, resting his head on the window sill, using a part of the pillow as a cushion.

As he fell asleep, he thought of Riku. He wondered if Riku was celebrating Christmas like he was. Sora hoped he did. Sora reached behind him, knocking over some other trinkets until he wrapped his fingers around his necklace.

He pushed away from the wall and laid on his side, clasping the necklace in his hands as he fell asleep.


	29. Chapter 29

In the week that followed, it snowed only once.

As usual, Sora woke up earlier than the others. He grabbed his coat from the coat rack by the entrance and pulled on his shoe. When he opened the front door, he stood still. There was a fine layer of snow covering the ground.

The sky was gray rather than its’ usual blue and more snowflakes fell from the sky. Sora stepped out, the snow making soft crunches underneath his footsteps. Sora held out his hands and watched as a snowflake landed in his cupped hands then melted away. He stared at his palm as another snowflake landed on it. He grinned and looked around.

Everything looked alien to him. The branches on the trees were covered in snow. He looked behind him, at the house, and stared in complete awe. The snow covered the roof, along the window sills and every jutting part of the house.

Ven had described snow to him when he had asked but the description didn’t do it any justice. He smiled and turned around, running to the nearest tree. He looked up and jumped, grabbing the nearest branch. A cascade of snow fell on him. Sora grinned, shaking his head free of snow.

He shuffled over and grabbed another branch, shaking free the snow. More snow fell on him, a bit slipping inside his jacket. He giggled and let the branch go, shaking free even more snow. Sora smiled and ran out to the covered pathway.

He bent down and grabbed a handful of snow into his hands. His fingers quickly became cold and red. He threw the snow into the air and watched as it drifted back down to earth.

“ _I want Riku to see this_.”

Sora looked up at the beautiful bleak sky.

A snowflake landed on the tip of his nose before it melted away. He smiled and stood to his feet. He stared at the pathway that led to the beach. In the three months he had stayed with Terra, Aqua, and Ven, Sora never missed a day of waking up early and going to the beach. It had become a ritual to him.

He took a step forward then stopped. Sora quickly realized that he couldn’t keep going back to the ocean. It was becoming a bad habit. He knew he would always be a part of the ocean, whether he was the Pincoy or not. He didn’t need to see the ocean every day to know that.

Sora turned away from the path that lead to the beach and headed to the house.

The sea would always be a part of him but now he had to think of moving on. More specifically, of reuniting back with Riku and the life he would now have to live above the ocean. He walked back into the house and closed the door behind him.

The cold from playing in the snow briefly caught up to him. He kicked off his shoes and hung his coat back onto the rack. Instead of walking back to his room, Sora sat down on the plush armchair that faced the window. The living room window was much bigger than the one in his room.

He settled down, tucking his legs underneath him as he leaned against one side of the armrest. He watched the snowfall outside until he drifted back into a light sleep.

An hour or so later, he was woken up by Ven’s shouting.

“Aqua, he wasn’t at the beach!” Ven yelled, running through the hallway. There was more yelling, mostly from a panicking Ven and from Aqua and Terra who were trying to calm him down. None of them had noticed Sora on the armchair, mostly because the armchair had its back to the threshold of the living room.

Sora watched them and flailed his arms around, trying to get their attention. He leaned forward against the back of the armchair until he felt a distinct sensation of falling. He stopped flailing his arms and gasped as the armchair tipped backwards. The armchair landed with a loud thud, getting the trio’s attention from the kitchen.

Sora tumbled forwards, groaning as he rolled to a stop on his back. He sat upright, blinking a few times as he waited for the room to stop spinning.

“You’re here?” Aqua asked, kneeling in front of Sora.

Sora nodded, “ _I decided to not go to the beach_.”

“Why? Are you sick?”

Sora shook his head. “ _I’m moving on. The sea will always be there, whether I’m there to see it or not_.”

“You’re not going back there?” Ven asked.

“ _I will_ ,” Sora mouthed. “ _But not every day anymore_.”

“You seem to be maturing a lot faster than Ven.” Terra said, ruffling Sora’s hair. Sora grinned and grabbed Terra’s hand as he helped him up to his feet.

“Hey!” Ven shouted. Sora chuckled and he looked behind him, pointing at the window. The snow was still falling.

“ _I want to go back out in the snow_.” Sora said. Ven grinned and he picked up the armchair.

“Good! It’s really rare that we ever get snow since the weather here never gets cold enough to snow.” Sora nodded and they began to run towards the door when Aqua stopped them by grabbing the back of their shirt as they ran past her.

“Wait. First of all, breakfast.” She said, leading them towards the kitchen. Sora looked behind him at the door but to prove a point, his stomach growled loudly for all to hear. Sora blushed and covered his stomach while Ven chuckled at him. Aqua smiled and continued to lead the boys into the kitchen.

“Eat first. Then I’ll go look around to see if we have a spare scarf. Sora, we don’t want you getting sick again.”

“Okay, we’ll eat.” Ven said. “Then we’ll have a snowball fight.” He said to Sora. Sora grinned and nodded as they entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

\------

It was difficult.

Since Sora always woke up earlier than anyone, he would have to fight the urge not to go to the ocean. He couldn’t let his resolve waver. It was tough but he managed. Instead of walking out the door, Sora would grip the body pillow and throw open the window and stare at the peaks of the mountain range.

Of course, Ven and the others were all supportive. He was glad for their support. It made things much easier to handle. When Ven resumed classes, Terra and Aqua would alternate taking Sora to their jobs, while leaving Sora alone in the house every other day for the few hours during the morning, until Ven returned from school.

During one afternoon mid February, Sora had strayed away from Ven when they went to town further down the pathway.

Aqua had sent them to do some grocery shopping. Ven had gone into the market and Sora gave him the slip. He walked to the edge of town, where the forest began, and he looked into the forest.

Destiny Island had no forest so he was curious. He walked along the edge until something from the forest caught his eye. He could see a little clearing not too far. Sora looked at the town, debating if he should go in or not.

Ultimately, Sora gave in to his curiosity. It was only going to take a second.

Fifty feet into the forest, where the forest stared to become dense, Sora found himself in a little clearing. It had to be at least fifteen feet in diameter but the small size made it feel cozy. He looked up and noticed the branches that branched out, the leaves creating a sort of canopy for the clearing. The sunlight that streamed down through the nature made canopy tinted the sun beam green, creating a relaxing vibe within the clearing.

Sora sat down in the middle of the clearing. He leaned back and looked up at the leafy canopy. He closed his eyes and smiled. He had to show Ven this small clearing.

“So you’re Sora.”

Sora quickly opened his eyes and looked around. Stepping out from the shadows of the forest and into the clearing was an exact look alike of Sora. Sora wasn’t too surprise. He knew it was Vanitas, the one Ven had mentioned.

Sora calmly stared at him. He could definitely see the resemblance, especially in the face. His hair was black and his eyes were a golden-yellow. Sora also noticed he was a lot more built. Sora looked down at himself and pressed his hand against his stomach. He was more lean than muscular.

Sora looked back Vanitas. He smiled and pulled his ever present messenger bag onto his lap. Vanitas watched him, staying away as Sora wrote in his notebook.

“So you really can’t talk.” Vanitas said, walking closer. Sora nodded. “Do you know who I am?”

Sora nodded again. “ _Vanitas_.” He mouthed. Vanitas hummed thoughtfully and he kneeled in front of Sora.

“You’re not going to run away?” He asked.

Sora tilted his head to the side. “ _Why_?” He asked.

“So Aqua hasn’t warned you about me,” Vanitas said. “You shouldn’t be near me.”

Sora blinked. He grabbed his pen and scribbled down in his notebook. He held it up and showed it to Vanitas. He read the sentences and let out a quick laugh.

“So I did approach you.” Vanitas said. He sat down in front of Sora. “You might be entertaining.” Before Sora could question what he meant, Vanitas grabbed Sora’s hand and pulled the brunet towards him. Sora gasped as Vanitas grabbed his other hand and held him against his chest. Sora struggled against him, trying to pull away from his hold.

“ _Let go of me! What’re you doing_?!” Sora voicelessly yelled. Vanitas ignored him and held on until Sora had settled down enough.

“I’m taking advantage of this unique situation.”

“ _What situation_!?” Sora yelled again as he struggled. Since Vanitas was holding him against his chest, with Sora’s back to him, he couldn’t see Sora’s lips move.

Sora sighed, aggravated, as he grabbed his notebook book and quickly scribbled down what he said. Then he held it up for Vanitas to see.

“Situation? It’s not really a situation,” He said. “It just gives me something to do.” Vanitas started to lift Sora’s shirt, letting his fingers trailing along Sora’s skin. Sora instantly froze.

He shivered as he felt Vanitas’s fingers trail even further up his side. Goosebumps crawled up his arms. He wasn’t Riku. He shuddered and struggled harder, managing to free an arm. He swung his arm back as hard as he could and backhanded Vanitas. The slap managed to distract Vanitas as he loosened his hold on Sora.

He scrambled away from Vanitas as fast as he could, keeping himself a good distance away. Vanitas pulled his hand away from his mouth, noticing blood on the back of his hand.

“So you do have some strength in those arms of yours.” He said. Sora immediately felt unsafe. He was beginning to wish he had run away when Vanitas first appeared in the small clearing. Sora wanted to run past Vanitas but he didn’t want to be touched by him again.

“ _Let me pass_.”

Vanitas grinned, rather sardonically. Sora was weary of him, a panicked look settling onto his features.

He stared at the brunet and took a step towards Sora. Sora took a step back. Vanitas kept walking towards Sora and he kept walking backwards until he had backed up into a tree. Sora eyes widened and he looked behind him.

When he looked back, Vanitas was in front of him. In an instant, Vanitas had him pinned against the tree. He held Sora’s arms above his head, keeping them pinned down with one hand against the rough bark of the tree. Sora struggled against him, twisting his body, trying anything to get free of Vanitas’s hold.

“I just want you to help me indulge in a bit of narcissism,” He said. “I’ll never, in a million years, make faces like the ones’ you are making right now. I’m curious as to how I would look like.”

Vanitas cupped Sora’s face, running his hand down along his neck. Sora shivered and he shut his eyes. He couldn’t block out the touch of Vanitas’s fingers as they traced his collarbone. Sora struggled harder but all he managed was to bruise his wrist against the bark of the tree. Vanitas was stronger than he was.

“ _Stop it, please_.” Sora begged, opening his eyes.

“I haven’t done anything worth stopping yet.” Vanitas said. He reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a switchblade. He popped the blade open and Sora eyes widened in fear. Sora trembled as Vanitas ripped open his shirt.

Beyond the clearing, Sora could hear Ven’s voice calling out to him. It seemed he was just on the outskirt of the forest. Sora struggled, twisting his body from side to side. He soundlessly yelled for him even though it was useless.

Vanitas let out a low whistle as he stared at Sora’s scar. With his free hand, he ran his hand along the healed flesh. Sora froze again. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like being touched by him. The way Vanitas touch him, it was too similar to a lovers’ touch and the only one who was ever allowed to touch him in that way was Riku.

“Sora!” Ven’s voice was close but as he called out Sora’s name again, it started to sound further away. He panicked and painfully pulled his hand out of Ven’s grasp. The back of his hand began to bleed but it was enough to push Vanitas’s hand away. He clawed at Vanitas’s face, red angry scratches appearing on his right cheek.

Vanitas smiled and grabbed him, roughly pushing him back against the trunk of the tree. Sora coughed from the impact. He gritted his teeth as he glared at Vanitas.

“That’s a nice expression.”

With every passing second, Ven’s voice began to fade. Sora looked away from Vanitas. He clawed at Vanitas’s arms and back, trying everything he could to get free again. Ven was leaving the area without knowing that he was there. He didn’t want to be left alone with Vanitas.

“ _Ven, I’m here. Ven! Please, don’t let him touch me. He’s not Riku_!” Ven’s voice was slowly fading.

Vanitas grabbed Sora’s other flailing hand and managed to pin them back against the trunk, above his head. Sora struggled, getting desperate. He could feel trails of blood drip down his arms. Sora managed to free his arms again. Vanitas sighed and decided to hold him back by his throat.

Sora gripped Vanitas’s hand and pulled as hard as he could. When he felt Vanitas’s cold fingers loosen just a bit, Sora bowed his head and bit Vanitas’s hand.

Vanitas hissed in pain, backing off. Finally free, Sora sprinted forward. Vanitas chased after him. He reached out and grabbed Sora by his hair, effectively stopping him in his tracks. Sora winced in pain.

Vanitas yanked him back, pulling his head back as he stared at the brunet. Sora glared at him, refusing to let Vanitas see any sign of weakness. Vanitas grinned and leaned in close.

“Keep on glaring at me like that.” Vanitas whispered. He continued to lean forward and with horror Sora realized he was going to be kissed by him. He wouldn’t let it happen. He turned his head to the side at the last second, feeling Vanitas’s breath against his neck.

He felt goose bumps rise against his flesh. He took a deep breath and let out a long yell that echoed throughout the forest. His voice cracked and he yelled again.

“VEN! VEN!!”

Sora’s voice rang out throughout the forest, gaining volume despite the fact it would crack near the end of his yell. He yelled again, exhausting his voice as he kept calling out to Ven. Vanitas frowned and he released his grip on Sora’s hair.

Sora fell forward, hitting the ground but he quickly scrambled to his feet, running away as fast as he could. Vanitas watched him run then he sighed. He turned around, heading deeper into the forest to the sole cabin in he lived in, which was under Eraqus’s supervision.

“At least I got to see some interesting faces before Eraqus could find out I left again.” He said, disappearing amongst the thickening forest.

Sora stumbled forwards, tripping over an upturned root. He could hear Ven call out to him again. Sora picked himself up and continued until he was out of the forest. He breathed heavily and looked behind him, making sure Vanitas wasn’t following him.

“Sora! What happened?” Sora looked to his left and noticed Ven.

Ven set the bags on the ground as he went to Sora’s side. Sora reached for him, hugging Ven as he tried to calm down. He could still feel Vanitas’s touch, his fingers grazing his stomach. He hated the feeling. Ven noticed how much Sora was shaking and it wasn’t from the cold. Something had frightened him.

“C’mon, let’s go back to the house.” Ven said. He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Sora to make up for his torn shirt. Sora followed close behind Ven, clutching the back of Ven’s shirt.

As soon as they made it home, Sora went straight to his room. He pulled off the torn shirt and climbed onto his bed. He grabbed his necklace from the shelf and laid down, clutching the gem. He stared at the swirling magic inside and closed his eyes, his thoughts taking him to Riku.

It helped him calm down and get his mind off the horrible encounter. He heard footsteps and he opened his eyes. Ven walked into the room, looking concerned. Sora sat upright and he smiled gently at him.

“…I’m fine.” He whispered. His voice sounded hoarse. It was expected since he hadn’t used his voice in months. Ven sat down and as soon as he sat, Sora laid his head on Ven’s lap. “I guess Vanitas is dangerous.”

“Wait,” Ven said, looking down at Sora. “You mean he did this to you?”

Sora nodded. “There was a pretty clearing….I sat down in the middle of it…he appeared...then he started…touching me.” He could feel Ven tense. Sora looked up at him and quickly shook his head.

“It was just my chest. But it scared me…I know he wanted to do more than touch...but he can’t! Only…only Riku can.”

“Sora, don’t strain yourself talking.” Ven said. Sora nodded and he stared up at the ceiling. Sora sat up and he shuffled over, grabbing the body pillow. He laid back down, hugging the pillow. Sora tugged on the back of Ven’s shirt.

“…can you stay here? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Sure.”

\------

By the end of February, Sora’s voice was back to its’ normal range. His voice didn’t fade in and out nor squeaked anymore.

He was finally able to fully explain his situation to Terra, Aqua, and Ven.

On a slow Sunday afternoon in March, Sora sat down with the rest of them in the living room. He told them everything, from the moment he first saw Riku, the first time he spoke to Riku on the island, how he managed to sing his voice into the gem Riku had given him that let him control his magic to morph his tail into legs, his time on the island, and his forced return to the Palace. When he talked about the events that happened in the palace, Sora clutched his chest, his fingers running along the scar.

He continued until he concluded with how he ended up voiceless and unconscious on the back of a whale. Sora rested his head on the armchair he was curled up in. He hadn’t realized talking would tire him out so much.

“I feel like my mouth is gonna fall off.” Sora said, chuckling.

“I would imagine so.” Aqua said.

“You went through a lot in a few months.” Terra said.

“But it was fun, for the most part.” Sora said.

“So what happened to the other voice?” Ven asked. He was sitting on the floor, in between Terra and Aqua. Sora sat upright and lifted up his shirt. He was glad the Pincoy mark hadn’t left him. At least he had something physical to remind himself of what he proudly was.

“The markings around the heart are our ancient language,” Sora said. He held up his shirt with one arm as he ran his finger over the strange lettering around the heart. “This means gifted love-child of the gentle sea. The Pincoy’s voice isn’t mine but the oceans. It will stay within the sea until it decides who qualifies to be the next Pincoy.”

“How do you know that?” Ven asked.

“The ocean told me,” Sora said. He paused and tried to think of a way to explain it. “Well, I don’t know how to explain it. It was the essence of the ocean. When I was little, I couldn’t talk in the common language. It was the ancient language I first talked in. But the ocean explained it to me. I was able to talk to others as long as I was touching them so they could understand me. Leon was the one I tried talking in the common language first.” When he mentioned Leon, Sora’s smile pulled back a bit.

“Are you okay?” Aqua asked, noticing that Sora had drawn back a bit into the armchair.

“I’m okay,” Sora said with a nod. Aqua didn’t believe him but she didn’t push it. She stood up and walked over to Sora, kneeling down in front of the armchair. Sora stared at her.

“You’re more than welcome to continue staying here, Sora.” Aqua said. She touched the Wayfinder hanging around his neck. Sora smiled brightly and relaxed. Aqua smiled and stood up. “Now then, I think it’s a good time to bake a cake.”

“Yes!” Ven shouted, scrambling upright to his feet. “This time it’s going to be all chocolate and strawberry.” Ven jogged over to Sora and pulled him off the chair, dragging him into the kitchen. “Have you ever eaten cake batter, Sora?”

Sora shook his head.

Ven grinned. “You’ll enjoy it.”

\------

“Sora, can I ask you something?” Ven asked, staring out at the ocean. The pair was sitting on the beach.

It was a beautiful spring Saturday afternoon, the sun high in the sky, heating up the sand underneath their feet. Two months unremarkably passed by; the cool spring weather slowly making way for the summer.

Ven hadn’t had much free time lately as he was preparing to graduate from the local high school. He was finally able to get away from practice to spend time with Sora.

“What is it?” Sora asked. He was lying on his stomach on a large beach towel. He was taking advantage of the surprising hot weather as it was rare just like the snow. Sora turned his head to the side and looked up at Ven.

“It’s about Riku,” Ven said. “Why did you give everything up for him?”

Sora flipped over to his back and sat upright. “You mean my Pincoy self?” He asked.

Ven nodded. “From the way you said it, you loved the ocean.”

Sora nodded and with a soft smile as he looked out at the sparkling surface of the sea. “I do love the ocean. But I chose Riku as my mate. I love him as much, even more, than the ocean. I want to be with him always…but I’m scared.” He lifted up his legs and wrapped his arms around his knees. He rested his head on top of his knees.

“What’s wrong?”

“I left without explaining anything to him. I don’t know if he’s mad or not.” Sora said. “I didn’t want him to worry. The process…it wasn’t pleasant. He’s always protecting me. He’d already seen me get hurt when I tried to protect him.” Sora pointed at his scar.

“That’s when Leon tried to strike Riku down, wasn’t it?” Ven asked.

Sora nodded and he lifted his head up. “I don’t think it hurt as much as that time. Losing a part of me…it felt like that part of me was being ripped out.” Sora stared at his feet, wiggling his toes.

During the day, when Sora was alone in the house while Ven was in school and Terra and Aqua working, Sora would often settle down on his bed and, with his eyes closed, he would sense for his magic. At first, he didn’t know why he’d want to torture himself when he knew he wouldn’t feel any magic but he did any way.

To his utter surprise, he felt a faint little waft of magic in him. It wasn’t nearly as vast as the magic he used to have but it was something.

Sora wiggled his toes again then he looked at Ven. “I don’t know if I’m right or not but…I think I can show you my tail.” He said.

“What do you mean?” Ven asked.

“I think I have a little bit of magic in me but I’m not sure. Cloud said all the Pincoy’s magic would leave me completely. It’s not the same amount, I believe it never will be, but I think there’s enough to show you my tail.”

“Why haven’t you told Aqua or Terra?” Ven asked. “Isn’t your magic important?”

Sora shrugged. “Not anymore. Riku is important to me now. Besides, I only feel a tiny bit of magic in me. There’s not enough to make a fuss over.” Sora stood and looked out at the ocean. Then he started to pull off his shorts.

“Whoa! Sora! What’re you doing?!” Ven shouted, turning red.

“Oh, that’s right.” Sora nonchalantly said. “You guys have modesty. I guess I’ll have to get used to it.”

He sat back down, bare-assed, and laid his shorts next to him. Ven was blushing, looking every other way but at Sora. Sora chuckled. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He could feel his magic spread over him and he felt the familiar sensation wash over his legs.

He opened his eyes and saw the swirl of magic whirl around his legs. He looked over at Ven and saw that he was looking as well. His flesh changed texture to the blue scales he was born with. His legs melded together until he was staring at his powerful tail once again.

“Wow.” Ven whispered. Sora smiled and he flicked his fin. “Can I touch it?”

“Go ahead.” Sora said with a nod. Ven reached out and ran his hand along the side of Sora’s tail. Sora flicked his tail again; startling Ven. Sora chuckled and ran his hand along the side of his tail.

“This is amazing.” Ven said.

Sora smiled and suddenly he saw his magic wrap around his tail. They watched as his tail reverted back into legs. Ven frowned, looking at Sora but the brunet shook his head.

“Don’t feel sorry,” Sora said as he grabbed his shorts. He lifted his legs and slipped them back on. “Knowing that I still have some amount of magic is enough for me. Now I have to find a new way to get home.”

“You were going to swim back?”

“Yeah but that’s not an option anymore.” Sora stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “I’ll just have to think of a new one.”

“We’ll think of something.” Ven said as he stood up. He started walking towards Terra’s glider that Ven borrowed. Sora made a face as he hesitantly walked towards the glider.

“What if I walk back up to town?” Sora asked. Ven shook his head and he walked back to Sora. He grabbed Sora’s hand and dragged him to the glider.

“Nope. It’s faster this way.” Ven said. He hopped on and Sora stood there, staring. Ven laughed and reached out, grabbing Sora’s hand. Sora made a face as he reluctantly climbed behind Ven.

As much as he liked Ven, whenever Terra let him borrow his glider, he’d always get reckless. Sora tightly locked his arms around Ven’s waist just as Ven suddenly revved the glider forward. Sora yelled and quickly shut his eyes.

“Let’s drop by town. There’s a new flavor ice cream we should try out.” Sora nodded.

The wind was blowing past them quickly. Sora slowly cracked opened one eye, saw the fast moving ground, and quickly closed his eye again. The one advantage to Ven’s driving was that they got to town relatively fast. When Sora felt the glider slow down, he dared to open his eyes and realized that they were in town.

He sighed in relief as he watched the scenery. Ven went past the other shops, heading to the ice cream parlor. He came to a stop and Sora quickly scrambled off the glider. Ven laughed and Sora stuck his tongue out at him.

“Are you ever going to get used to a glider?” Ven asked, hopping off.

Sora shook his head. “I’ll tolerate it but I’m never going to get used to it.”

“It’s really not that bad.” Ven said as they walked to the counter. “Two sea-salt ice cream, please.” He asked. Then he turned back to Sora. “What if I help you get used to my glider when we get back?”

“…How about Aqua’s glider?” Sora bartered.

“Here you go.” The vendor said and handed Ven the ice pops. Ven thanked him and paid the vendor. They walked back to Terra’s glider. Ven climbed on first then Sora. Ven turned on the glider and they slowly continued their way further up the mountain path.

“You’ll stay long enough to see my graduation, right?” Ven asked.

“Of course!” Sora said. “I want to see how a human graduation looks like.”

“There’s a mermaid graduation?” Ven asked. He drove past the house and parked the glider at the garage by the side of the house. Sora climbed off first, taking the first bite of his ice cream as Ven climbed off and leaned against the glider.

“Yeah, there are three. The mermen who have survived Cid’s training to become soldiers have a ceremony. They get assigned their places and some can go further on and train to become guardians. The other is for basic education and there’s one more for mermaids or mermen who want to become healers.”

“What about you?”

“Me? I was a few lessons away from graduation but, since Leon, Cid, and Wakka taught me, I probably would’ve have a ceremony along with Namine and Kairi.”

“Sounds like it would’ve been fancy.” Ven said. Sora smiled and he licked the melting ice cream from his fingers.

“Maybe,” Sora said. “We should head in. I think using the small amount of magic tired me out.”

“But you wouldn’t be tired enough for another round of video games?” Ven teased. Sora grinned as he chomped the last bit of melting ice cream off the stick. He shivered from the sudden cold then grinned.

Sora jogged ahead of Ven. He opened the front door, kicking off his shoes. He greeted Aqua as he ran past the living room to set up the console when he stopped mid-run, almost slipping. He stood there, almost in disbelief. There was no possible way it could be him.

Sora shook his head, figuring he was just hallucinating. He held his hands against his chest. He took small steps towards the living room threshold. He peeked around the corner and felt his heart nearly stop as he stared at the two people he never expected to see together or in the room for that matter.

Riku was in the living room, sitting on the couch. Aqua was beside him, talking to him. Leon was to the side, looking around the room until he spotted Sora. Sora’s heart nearly jumped out his chest and he ran away, heading upstairs. At the top of the stairs, he crashed into Terra coming out of the bathroom.

Sora looked up at Terra, clutching Terra’s shirt as he pointed down the stairs. He couldn’t speak but Terra could understand him well enough.

“So you do know them.” He said. Sora nodded. So it was true. He didn’t hallucinate either of them. Ven came up the staircase, curiously looking at them.

“Terra, who are those people?” Ven asked.

“Acquaintances of Sora,” Terra said. “Let’s go see them.” Sora nodded but when he tried to move his legs, they wouldn’t budge forward. He nervously chuckled and tried again. They wouldn’t move. He stood rooted to the spot.

“Sora? What’s wrong?” Ven asked.

“…I’m scared,” He said, looking at Ven. “My mate, Riku, he’s the silver-haired one. I don’t know what he is going to say. I don’t if he’s mad or not. I can’t move my legs.” Terra patted Sora’s head and the brunette looked up at him.

“Staying up here won’t solve anything. They’ve been searching months for you, from what they told us. If he was mad, do you think he would’ve spent months searching for you?” Terra asked.

Sora shook his head. Terra had a point. He took a deep breath in and exhaled.

“Can you help me, please?” Sora asked with a sheepish grin. Ven smiled and he grabbed Sora’s hand, leading him back down the staircase. Sora’s heart kept thumping faster inside his chest.

He squeezed Ven’s hand and felt a reassuring squeeze back from the blond. Sora stopped just at the threshold to the living room. Ven looked back at him but didn’t force him out. Sora took another deep breath in and exhaled. With shaky footing, Sora stepped into the living room.

Riku was still there but now he was staring at Sora. Sora wanted to run towards him and cling to him, never letting him go. But he was still hesitant.

“Riku?”

Sora waited, staring at his expressionless face. Those bright electric eyes stared at him and those lips that he was familiar with turned into a gentle smile for him. Sora’s eyes brimmed with tears and he smiled, running towards him.

“Riku!”


	30. Chapter 30

> _Roxas swam through the palace corridors in search of Axel. Axel had said he wouldn’t wander off like he did last time yet there he was, searching for his mate._
> 
> _He took his eyes off Axel for one second and then he was gone the next. He sighed and stopped at an intersection in the wide corridor. He looked around debating which way to go when he felt someone sneak up behind him._
> 
> _He quickly turned around, drawing his blade as he pulled back away from the figure. Saïx smirked and Roxas lowered his blade though he was still on the defense. He might not seem like it but Saïx was just as battle crazy as Cid._
> 
> _The only difference was that Saïx could hide it. Roxas knew from enough battle sessions that Saïx was always testing him. He wasn’t head commander of the soldiers for nothing._
> 
> _“Good to see your reflexes are still sharp.” He said._
> 
> _“Yeah, well, I’m still a Guardian,” Roxas said. He hooked his blade back to the side of the belt he wore. “Have you seen Axel? I turn away for one second and he’s gone when I look back.”_
> 
> _“Your mate? I saw him talking to Kairi over in her room.”_
> 
> _“Damn! He’s with Kairi?!” Roxas dashed around Saïx as he headed towards Kairi’s room._
> 
> _Roxas was sure Kairi was telling him more stories of his childhood. Last week, Axel kept relentlessly teasing him about a time he wished he would forget. It was perfectly natural for a four year old to be scared of seeing his first giant squid._
> 
> _Who wouldn’t be? Maybe not Sora._
> 
> _Sora had gone right up the giant squid and let one of the tentacles wrap around his tiny waist and giggled. Sora had no fears of predatory sea creatures even when he was smaller. Roxas sighed, weaving through the columns at full speed, heading into the title-holders’ section of the Palace. He could hear Kairi’s laughter echo through the hallway. Roxas sped up, making a sharp turn into her room._
> 
> _“Kairi!” Roxas yelled, startling her as he entered the room. A sheepish grin appeared on her face as she waved, looking like she was caught red-handed. Axel smiled and he swam towards Roxas. Roxas backed away as he glared at him._
> 
> _He could see the gleam in his eyes. She must’ve told him something extra embarrassing. Axel chuckled as he reached out and pulled Roxas into his arms. Roxas muttered and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest._
> 
> _“What were you saying to him?” He asked Kairi, ignoring Axel as he held the blond from behind._
> 
> _“Nothing, honestly.” Kairi said with a Cheshire grin. “I was telling him a few stories when you were younger. Like, remember that time when you thought Sora was lost so you went out to find him in the city although you were the one that became lost?” Roxas groaned as he felt his face heat up. “I told him that one.”_
> 
> _“You’re giving him ammunition to tease me, y’know that.” Roxas muttered. Kairi giggled as she swam towards the exit._
> 
> _“I’m just helping out.” She said. “You’re going back now?” She asked._
> 
> _Roxas nodded. “Riku’s waiting for any update. Even though he already knows what the answer is going to be.”_
> 
> _“He hasn’t been spotted at all.” Kairi said, looking out the entrance. She touched her necklace as her smile faded a bit. “Sora must’ve swum day and night to get far away as fast as he could.”_
> 
> _“Do you think he’s still in the ocean?” Axel asked._
> 
> _“I don’t know,” Kairi said. “I just hope he’s doing okay.” Roxas nodded, hoping the same thing. He moved out of Axel’s embrace and swam towards Kairi._
> 
> _“We’re heading out now. Let us know if Leon finds anything out.”_
> 
> _“Will do,” Kairi said. “I’ll tell you another story of Roxas when I surface again.” She added to Axel. Roxas frowned, grabbing Axel’s arm as they swam away._
> 
> _“Please don’t!” He yelled as he rounded the corner into the main Palace. Kairi’s laugh echoed along the walls of the cavern. Axel chuckled and Roxas glared back at him._
> 
> _“Don’t you dare say anything about it.” He threatened._
> 
> _“I haven’t said anything yet.” Axel said. Roxas sighed as he saw that teasing grin on Axel’s lips. They swam past the entrance to the palace and began their swim towards the surface. Roxas swam ahead of him, wishing to escape the oncoming tease._
> 
> _Axel smiled as he caught up to the blond and held his hand. Roxas blushed and he looked away. “Though it was rather cute. I wish I could’ve seen you back then.”_
> 
> _“I’m glad you didn’t.” Roxas said. He remembered that time well enough._
> 
> _Sora had sneaked out the palace in search of Leon and when the guards took notice, Roxas took it upon himself to go search for him. He didn’t last very long when he searched throughout the city near the palace._
> 
> _A few minutes later, Roxas ended up lost himself.  He stayed in one spot, holding back anxious tears with a stubborn face until he started bawling. A guard on patrol nearby had recognized him and led him back to the palace. In the end, it turned out Sora was just hiding within the Palace to worry Leon._
> 
> _“Besides, I was four. Any four year old would cry if they thought they were lost. And it turned out Sora wasn’t lost at all!” Roxas added. “But still, Sora’s good at hiding when he doesn’t want to be found.”_
> 
> _“Do you think Sora’s hiding now?” Axel asked._
> 
> _Roxas shook his head. “No, I don’t believe he is. Sora…he’s just waiting to come back.”_
> 
> _\------_
> 
> _Riku blandly stared at the ceiling, open textbooks neglected on his bed._
> 
> _He shifted to his side, trying to get comfortable. He sighed and sat upright. There was no way he could possibly relax or even study. He looked by his side, remembering how Sora always favored sleeping next to the wall. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stared out the window beside the bed. He could see the ocean._
> 
> _Riku sighed again and laidback down on his bed, staring back up at the ceiling. The fall semester had already started back in September. It was almost November. Nearly five long months and nothing had turned up on Sora._
> 
> _He didn’t know what to think at first. Of course he was angry with himself for not reaching the palace faster. In his mind, he was sure if he reached Sora before he had the chance to leave, Sora might’ve not left._
> 
> _Then again, the brunet was stubborn. If Sora really had the mindset to leave, Riku had no doubt about that; he would’ve left regardless if Riku had reached him. So he waited because there was nothing else he could do and it was difficult. Small little things reminded him of Sora, the main one being the ocean itself._
> 
> _He looked beside him and he could feel the absence of Sora’s presence._
> 
> _For the tenth time, Riku sighed. He reached beside him, grabbing his camera from the bedside table. He turned on the little device and looked at his stored pictures. He only took one picture of Sora and it wasn’t even his face._
> 
> _He’d taken a picture of Sora’s stomach with the intent of showing it to a tattooist in the city. Riku nearly forgot about his promise, with everything that had transpired. He looked back out the window towards the oceans as the door opened._
> 
> _“So you were here this time.” Axel said, walking into the room._
> 
> _“Where else would I be?” Riku asked._
> 
> _“I don’t know,” Axel said. “Emo in the corner, maybe?”_
> 
> _“Funny.” Riku sarcastically said. Axel smirked as he threw himself on his bed. Roxas walked in a few seconds later._
> 
> _“Riku, Leon hasn’t found any hints on his whereabouts. If Sora really did give up being the Pincoy then Cloud will probably be right in guessing that Sora might not even be in the ocean anymore.” Roxas sat down on Axel’s bed, kicking off his shoes._
> 
> _“Wouldn’t there be any place for Sora to reside in?” Riku asked._
> 
> _Axel sat upright, leaning against the wall. He reached forward, attempting to pull Roxas back to settle the blond in between his legs but Roxas smacked his hands away. Axel pulled his hands back, rubbing the back of his hands. He shuffled forward and leaned against Roxas, draping his arms over Roxas’s shoulders and rested his head on top of Roxas’s._
> 
> _“I feel ignored.” Axel quietly sang._
> 
> _“We don’t have any settlements above the ocean, if that’s what you’re implying.” Roxas said, purposefully ignoring Axel. “There’s not really a need to have any. Sora might’ve found an underwater cavern but they’re like mazes. Some don’t even have a connection to a surface entrance.”_
> 
> _“You’re not making this conversation any better.” Riku said._
> 
> _“Well, what else can I say? We really don’t have any ideas to go on off.” Roxas said. Axel began slipping his hands underneath Roxas shirt, only to have them slapped away as well. He sighed and settled on having his arms around Roxas’s waist._
> 
> _Riku looked back at his camera, at the markings around Sora’s navel. He shut the camera off and suddenly climbed out of bed. He grabbed his camera and stuffed it in his pocket. Roxas and Axel watched as Riku pulled on his sneakers._
> 
> _“Riku? What’s going on?”_
> 
> _“I’m not waiting any longer,” He said. “Toss me your keys, Axel.”_
> 
> _Axel grinned as he fished around his pocket. “Wherever the hell you’re going, I’m following.”_
> 
> _“Didn’t you say you were tired on the way here?” Roxas asked, looking back at Axel._
> 
> _“Riku’s the one driving. C’mon, it looks like Riku’s going somewhere interesting.” Axel said as he grabbed Roxas’s hand._
> 
> _Roxas had enough time to slip on a pair of sandals as he was literally dragged from the room. They left the dorm building, heading towards the parking lot. Roxas stared at Axel’s car, not sure if he wanted step into it. It wasn’t exactly brand new, there were a few scratch marks along the side doors and it looked pretty scuffed up._
> 
> _Roxas looked at Axel, worried. Axel grinned as he opened the back door, persuading Roxas inside as Riku sat in the drivers’ seat._
> 
> _“Should I be worried?” Roxas asked. The inside was much nicer than the outside but he was still concerned._
> 
> _“No worries. This babe has never disappointed me yet. Beside,” He looked back, pointing to a sleek red motorcycle parked a few spaced away. “That’s my main ride.” Roxas’s eyes widened, his mind trying to figure out how it could possibly run._
> 
> _Axel chuckled at Roxas’s expression. He turned back around, locking the door so he could lean against the back door on the passenger side. He pulled Roxas to him, wrapping his arms around Roxas’s slim waist. Riku started the car, surprising Roxas as he began to drive the car out of the parking lot and to the main road._
> 
> _“Where are we going?” Roxas asked._
> 
> _“To the city.” Riku said._
> 
> _Axel kicked off his sandals and used his toes to open up the window on the opposite door. Roxas was confused but he relaxed and leaned back against Axel’s chest for the ride. Riku wouldn’t say a word as he drove, concentrating on the road._
> 
> _Roxas decided to look out the window, watching as they drove out of town to the main roads. Slowly, the ocean disappeared from view as they drove more inland. Watching the scenery go by made Roxas tired despite it only being the afternoon. It didn’t help either as Axel kept his arms around the blond, keeping him nicely warm._
> 
> _Roxas yawned and he couldn’t help himself as he closed his eyes for awhile. When he opened them again, he wondered why it was so dark but bright. He yawned and looked out the windows._
> 
> _Tall buildings that seemingly appeared to touch the sky surrounded them. Roxas stared in awe at the blinking lights and various people walking the street. Everything felt overwhelming. Even the people walking the streets weren’t what he’d seen walking around Destiny Island. He spotted a pedestrian with hair brighter than Axel’s._
> 
> _“Where are we?” Roxas asked, looking at Axel. Riku was driving around for a parking spot in the street._
> 
> _“The Dark City,” Axel said. “Aptly names ‘cause these buildings make it so damn dark, especially at night. The place for all your trend setting needs, clubs, concerts, or a place to get completely smashed when you’re having a shit day. Overall, a pretty fun place.”_
> 
> _“Axel, call that friend of yours.” Riku said as he found a parking spot. Axel nodded and he pulled out his cell phone. Roxas watched as he dialed a number and raised the phone to his ear._
> 
> _“Yo! Luxord, you’re working today? Good, I have business coming in soon. We’ll be at the shop in ten minutes.” He shut his phone just as Riku parked the car._
> 
> _Roxas moved aside as Axel opened the back door, Roxas following behind him. Riku climbed out, closing the door and locking it with the small car lock device. Roxas looked up at the tall buildings in awe. He would never have thought buildings could be so tall. Roxas walked while he looked up at the same time on the street, not noticing his surrounds._
> 
> _Axel looked behind him, wondering what was taking Roxas as Riku was already at the corner of the block. He quickly grabbed Roxas and pulled him back as a car honked and drove past them. Roxas watched as the car drove by, his heart thumping loudly._
> 
> _“Stick by my side, Roxy.” Axel said. “We’re in the city and it’s not as friendly as Destiny Island.”_
> 
> _“It didn’t even slow down!” Roxas complained as Axel led him to the street. Axel chuckled and he offered his hand to Roxas. Roxas grabbed his hand without hesitation as they walked down the street. He couldn’t stop staring._
> 
> _The flashing lights, the murmur of a thousand conversations, and the numerous amounts of people had him noticing everything. Roxas looked up at the sky, noticing it held an orange tinge. His sense of time was completely thrown off._
> 
> _He looked back around at the various lights on the building, his eyes jumping from people to people as he tried to take it all in. Roxas closed his eyes, feeling the comings of a headache from trying to take note of everything. He felt completely out of his element in the city._
> 
> _“This place has too many distractions.” Roxas noted. He massaged the bridge of his nose, not paying attention to where he was walking. He trusted Axel wouldn’t let him walk into a pole or anything like that._
> 
> _“You have to take it in little by little.” Axel said. “You also have to stop it with the whole scoping-out-the-place thing you do. That’s why you’re getting a headache.”_
> 
> _Roxas shook his head. “I can’t. I’m a Guardian. I’ve been personally trained by Cid since I was small. It’s basically been bred into me.” They continued to walk down the block and the one thing Roxas noticed was that there were few people walking around them. There were still flashing lights but not as much._
> 
> _They were heading towards a plaza, a relatively quiet area with not so many flashing lights._
> 
> _“I’ll see if Luxord has any aspirins you can take.” Axel said as they stopped in front of a door to a dark-tinted window shop. Axel pushed open the door and walked in. Whatever Roxas was expecting, he wasn’t expecting what he saw._
> 
> _He stepped into a large, well lit room. To his right was the counter and to his left was a recess in the wall; a table, a few chairs and a large couch within the recess. From the ceiling to about half down the most of the walls were frames. Within the frames were various designs._
> 
> _Roxas walked further in, walking to one side of the wall as he looked at the diverse designs. Axel leaned against the counter and rang the bell on the counter multiple times._
> 
> _“Pipe down, will ya! I heard you the first time you rang that damn bell.”_
> 
> _Roxas looked toward the back of the room, a man with dark hair streaked with grey and an eye patch over his right eye emerged from a door-less threshold adorned by strings of beads. Roxas stared at the man, noting the scar on his left cheek. The man glanced at Roxas and he looked towards the counter._
> 
> _“Oh, it’s only you, Flamesilock.” Xigbar said. “Who’s the kiddo?” He asked, walking towards the counter._
> 
> _“I’m not a kid.” Roxas said defensively._
> 
> _“Sure you’re not.”_
> 
> _“He’s the boyfriend.” Axel said. Roxas blushed, glaring at Axel who merely grinned back. “Did the poster child of angst walk in?”_
> 
> _“Bangs that nearly obscured his vision?” Xigbar asked._
> 
> _“Yeah.”_
> 
> _“He’s in the back with Xaldin, getting prepped.” Xigbar said. Roxas walked over to Axel, being weary of Xigbar._
> 
> _“Alright, now where’s Luxord? It’s about time I beat him at his own game.”_
> 
> _“As if,” Xigbar said. “Isn’t the score forty-seven loses and zero wins?”_
> 
> _“Forty-eight but who’s counting.” Luxord said, walking towards the front of the room. Axel grinned as he walked over towards the alcove, taking a seat at the table. Roxas followed him, taking the chair beside him. Luxord smirked as he took a seat opposite of Axel. In his hands, he was shuffling a deck of cards._
> 
> _“Where did Riku go?” Roxas asked, looking around the room. Xigbar had gone back to the back room._
> 
> _“Who’s the kid?” Luxord asked, looking at Roxas._
> 
> _“I’m not a kid!” Roxas said. “I’m seventeen.”_
> 
> _“Could’ve fooled me.” Luxord replied, going back to shuffling his deck. Roxas sighed, leaning against Axel’s shoulder._
> 
> _“We’ll be here for awhile.” Axel said. Roxas straightened up as Axel stood up. He walked towards a mini fridge and grabbed a water bottle from it. “Hey, where’s the aspirin?”_
> 
> _“Top cabinet in the room beside you.” Luxord said. Axel walked into the room, grabbing a packet of aspirin from the top cabinet. He closed the door and sat back down, handing the bottle of water and pills to Roxas._
> 
> _“Take these if you still have that headache.” Roxas took the pills, staring at them as he examined the small white pills. He looked at the pills for a second more before he looked at Axel._
> 
> _“What do I do with these?” He asked._
> 
> _“Pop them in your mouth and wash it down with water. Swallow them whole.” Axel said. Roxas looked back at the pills and shrugged. He put the pills in his mouth and uncapped the bottle, chasing down the pills with water. Roxas looked around the room as the two began playing cards._
> 
> _The TV mounted on the wall kept his attention for about half an hour before he began to fell drowsy. Roxas yawned, first leaning against Axel. He looked at Axel’s card, wondering what they were playing. The numbers just made him drowsier. He picked himself up and plopped down on the large sofa behind the table. Roxas stretched out then rested his head on his arms. He fell asleep within minutes._
> 
> _When Roxas woke up again, he was back in the car. He drowsily looked out the windows. The tall buildings that seemed to reach the sky were nowhere to be seen. Trees, a few scattered houses, and cars were the only things he spotted as Riku drove. Quiet music wafted through the speakers up front. Roxas yawned, noticing that Axel himself was sleeping._
> 
> _“Where are we?” Roxas asked._
> 
> _“We’re heading back to the campus.” Riku said. Roxas looked out the window again. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky so the moon shone brightly. In the distant, he could see the dark waves of the ocean._
> 
> _“What did you do in that shop?” Roxas asked._
> 
> _“A tattoo,” Riku said. “The next time you go back the palace I’m going as well.”_
> 
> _“You are?” Roxas asked. Before Riku could respond, Axel reached over and pulled Roxas onto his lap, startling him. “I thought you were sleeping?”_
> 
> _“I was but now I’m not.” Roxas sighed, shaking his head as he looked out the window. The buildings began to look familiar and it wasn’t much later when he started to see the campus._
> 
> _Riku drove to the parking lot, finding a spot quickly enough. When Riku parked the car and turned the engine off, Roxas reached for the door handle but Axel stopped him. He looked at Axel, wondering why he stopped him but Axel just grinned._
> 
> _“Toss the keys on the passenger seat and leave the extra copy there.”_
> 
> _“Alright.” Riku said, tossing the keys aside. He climbed out and closed the door behind him, walking to the dorm. Roxas watched Riku leave and he looked back at Axel._
> 
> _“What’s goin-” Axel suddenly kissed him, stopping him midsentence. Roxas shivered, pleasantly surprised. He pulled back, giving Axel a suspicious glance. Axel chuckled, grabbing Roxas by his chin and leaning in for another kiss._
> 
> _“Don’t humans usually sleep when it’s this dark?” Roxas asked._
> 
> _Axel chuckled as he slipped his hands underneath Roxas shirt. Roxas couldn’t help but shiver as he felt those long fingers trail up his skin. Roxas raised his arms as Axel pulled off his shirt. He blushed as Axel ran his hands back down to his hips._
> 
> _Axel knew Roxas was protesting just for the hell of it. It took him much persuading to get Roxas to feel comfortable with all his advances. Though, quite honestly, it wasn’t that hard during the summer, with Roxas being in heat for those long days. Axel smirked as he unbuttoned Roxas’s pants, slipping a hand down the front. Roxas flinched and blushed when he felt Axel’s finger wrap around the base of his cock._
> 
> _“Usually but when have I ever done things the usual way?” Axel said._
> 
> _\------_
> 
> _A week later, Roxas was escorting Riku to the palace. When they neared the entrance, a soldier halted them. The soldiers’ eyes widened when he saw the marking around Riku’s navel. Roxas waved his hand in front of the guard, drawing his attention._
> 
> _“Where’s Leon?” He asked._
> 
> _“He’s in the training hall with Guardian Cid, sir.” The soldier said. Roxas thanked the soldier and swam into the palace, Riku following beside him._
> 
> _“He was staring at the tattoo, wasn’t he?” Riku asked. Roxas nodded, turning the corner._
> 
> _“Well, the mark is only ever seen on a Pincoy. You’re bound to get more stares.” Roxas said._
> 
> _And he did get more stares and quizzical looks from the soldiers and mermaids that passed them. For the most part, Riku ignored it but he could hear the occasionally word or phrase from the mermaids that passed them._
> 
> _Roxas swam up ahead, swimming into a large entrance that lead to an even larger space. Riku could see a team of four soldiers fighting against Cid. Obviously, the soldiers-to-be were failing. Roxas chuckled as he remembered when Cid had him fight against four soldiers at once. It was pure hell._
> 
> _“Riku, let’s get going. Leon’s over there.” Roxas said._
> 
> _Riku looked ahead and he spotted Leon leaning against a pillar, watching the fight with a bored expression. Riku swam past Roxas, much to the blond’s surprise. Leon noticed him, as well as Cid and the other soldiers, as they watched Riku swim up to Leon. Leon glanced at the Pincoy mark on Riku’s navel then he looked at the human directly._
> 
> _“Why are you down here?” Leon asked._
> 
> _“I want to go find Sora and I can’t do it alone.”_

\------

“Riku, you’re really here!” Sora said through tears. He clung to Riku, settling down beside him. “You’re really here!” He rubbed his eyes, trying to stop himself from crying but he couldn’t help it.

“Are you okay?” Aqua asked. Sora nodded and he kept wiping away tears.

“I’m happy; really, I just can’t seem to stop crying.” Sora smiled and rubbed his eyes again as he began to calm down. He grabbed Riku’s arm and held his hand, entwining his fingers with Riku’s. He smiled warmly as he felt Riku’s calloused fingers rub the back of his hand.

“Well, I guess you all know now that he’s Riku.” He said. Sora turned around and he pointed at Leon. “And he’s Leon, my Guardian.” Leon gave a curt nod.

“I hope he hasn’t been any trouble.” Leon said.

“Oh, he wasn’t,” Aqua said. “I’m Aqua, he’s Terra, and that one is Ventus.”

“Call me Ven for short.” Ven said. “Where are the other two Guardians?”

“Sora.” Leon reprimanded, looking at him.

“What?” Sora huffed, looking at Leon. “They’ve helped me when I couldn’t even talk. They’re kind humans so the least I could’ve done was telling them who I was.”

“Is it supposed to be a secret that you were the Pincoy?” Terra asked.

Sora shook his head, dismissively shaking his hand at Leon. “He doesn’t like humans so don’t mind him. He’s going to get used to it either way.”

“I guess you’ll want to know how we found Sora.” Aqua said, looking at Leon. “It was last year mid September. The weather was actually nice so we went down to the beach. Ven heard a whale cry out when he went into the water.”

Ven nodded. “It was blowing water like it was trying to catch our attention and it stayed in one spot. So Terra swam out to it.”

“I found Sora on top of the whale. He came conscious for a brief second but fell back unconscious after he started screaming without actually screaming.” Terra said. “I took him back to the house and Aqua and I took turns taking care of him. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness for the next week or so until he finally woke up.”

“He had legs when you found him?” Leon asked. Terra nodded. “Sora, how long did it take?”

“I don’t know. For the first three months after I left, I just swam around. I wanted to say goodbye to the ocean. I know I was singing on and off because of the pain so it took longer. I think it was a little over a week later when I forced myself to bare it and finish the song.”

“Bare what exactly?” Riku asked. Sora looked away, fidgeting. He really didn’t want to say anything. “If you’ll excuse us.” Riku added as he stood up and dragged Sora along with him. He headed for the stairs with a very confused Sora.

“Where’s your room?” Riku asked.

“At the end of the hallway.” Sora said. “Riku, what’re you-” Riku walked into the room and closed the door.

As soon as the door was closed, Riku pinned Sora against the wall. He crushed his lips against Sora’s, not giving him a chance to finish his sentence. Sora shivered, feeling Riku’s tongue against his own. He pulled his hands out of Riku’s grasp and wrapped them around his neck. He tangled his fingers in Riku’s hair, kissing him back just as passionately.

“You’re really here, Riku.” Sora whispered, running his hand down along the side of Riku’s face.

“Of course I’m here.” Riku said.

Sora smiled and he gazed up at Riku. “Did you drag me here just to kiss me?” He teased.

“I want to do much more than that,” Riku said, making Sora blush. “But I want to ask. Why did you leave? What did you mean by ‘bare it’?” Sora glanced down at the floor. Then he stared back at Riku.

“I had to,” Sora said. “It was something I had to do myself and for myself.”

“You didn’t have to-”

“You’re wrong!” Sora interrupted. Riku blinked, caught off guard. “I had to say farewell to the ocean. It’s difficult to explain, Riku. I really didn’t want you to see me literally rip a part of who I was out of me so that I could be with you but, more than that, I wanted to spend time with the ocean. I swam as deep as I could and I swam with sharks, whales, fishes, and dolphins. I know it sounds selfish but leaving without telling anyone where I was going was what I had to do.”

“When you put it that way, it sounds like I gave you an ultimatum.” Riku said, looking a tad bit displeased.

Sora vigorously shook his head. “You didn’t. That’s why I said it was hard to describe.” He blushed and stared at him. “You are my mate and I love you.” Riku smiled and he stepped back.

“In that case, I’ll show you this.” He said as he begun to unbutton his shirt. Sora curiously stared at him as Riku revealed his navel.

The Pincoy mark that Sora had was around Riku’s navel. Sora stared at it with wide eyes, beyond shock. He reached out and traced his finger along the line art of the heart. Around the heart was the letters of the ancient language. Sora smiled then he began crying again.

He launched himself at Riku, toppling him over as they fell with a thud. Sora hid his face against Riku’s neck. He couldn’t even think of any words that would explain to Riku how much his heart swelled up. So he laughed and cried at the same time to buy time to find the words, if there were any. But Riku understood well enough. He laid his arms across Sora’s back and waited for Sora to calm down again.

“Riku…when?”

“About five months after you left,” Riku said. “We went to a tattoo parlor Axel used to work in.”

Sora smiled and he sat upright. Riku pulled Sora onto his lap. Sora smiled as he faced Riku, placing his legs on either side of Riku’s waist. He wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck, kissing him as he felt Riku’s fingers unbutton his shirt. He almost had forgotten Riku’s touch.

Sora lithely moaned as Riku kissed his neck, marking him. Sora ran his hands down Riku’s back, shivering when Riku began unbuttoning his pants.

“Will I have to know about any other merman-related thing that’ll make you leave again?” Riku asked. Sora chuckled as stared into Riku’s eyes. Eyes that he fell in love with the first time they met. Sora shook his head as he gave him a kiss.

“I’m yours now.” Sora said, smiling. Riku leaned in, meaning to kiss him when Sora suddenly stopped him.

“Sora?”

“I need to tell Leon!” Sora happily said. He scrambled out of Riku’s lap, getting to his feet as he threw open the door and ran down the hallway. Riku sighed as he stood up, hearing Sora call out Leon’s name.

“I can wait a few more minutes.” Riku said to himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing back his bangs as he walked out the room.

Sora ran down the stairs and skidded to a halt, nearly slipping along the wood floor. “Leon!” He shouted just as his legs swung out from underneath him. He crashed on the floor with a heavy thud on his side.

Leon sighed, shaking his head as Sora slowly stood up, dazed but giggling. Ven was rolling on the floor, laughing.

“Are you okay?” Aqua asked, giggling and failing at trying to hide it. Sora grinned and nodded.

“I’m fine,” He said as Riku walked into the living room. Leon walked over to Sora and began buttoning up his shirt.

“You are still a Pincoy, Sora, if only by title now,” Leon said. “I’m not going to let you forget years of etiquette training.”

“I know,” Sora said. “But look!” He walked over to Riku and opened up the shirt Riku had buttoned up again upstairs. He lifted up his own shirt and faced the room. Sora was practically beaming. “Riku is mine and I’m his.” He proudly said. Riku looked the other way, pulling his shirt down. Leon sighed as he pulled Sora’s shirt down as well. Modesty didn’t seem to agree with Sora at all.

“You should get ready to leave.” Leon said as he turned towards Aqua. He pulled out a small brown sack from the pocket hanging by his waist as he held it out towards her. “Take this as compensation for taking care of the Pincoy.”

“Wait!” Sora shouted, standing in-between Leon and Aqua. “We’re leaving?” He asked, looking at Leon.

“We found you and that was out main priority.” Leon said.

“But I promised Ven I would watch his graduation,” Sora said. “Cid told me a man never backs down on his word.”

“Cid is also battle-crazy.” Leon replied. “It’s time you returned.”

“It’s no problem if Sora stays,” Ven said, walking over to Aqua. “We have extra rooms, don’t we?”

Aqua smiled. “We do.” She looked at Leon. “Ven graduates next week. An extra week won’t hurt. And you did say you’ve been traveling for a while now. Relax for a few days before you head home.”

Sora smiled, looking back at Leon with a pleading face and begging eyes. Leon didn’t even argue back. He knew when he was outnumbered.

“Alright, we’ll stay.”

Sora grinned and he hugged Leon. He took the sack from Leon and turned heeled, presenting the sack to Aqua. “Please take this, Aqua. These are diamonds and jewels are from my treasury, I’m sure. It’s the least I can do for taking care of me.” Aqua smiled and nodded, taking the sack from Sora.

“Alright, Terra should be back soon with dinner. Sora, can you help Ven set the table?” Sora nodded and the two ran off towards the kitchen, Ven bombarding him with questions all over again. Leon thanked Aqua again and he followed Sora, heading down the corridor. Riku looked at Aqua and she smiled at him.

“Am I safe to assume you’ll like to sleep in the same room with Sora?” She said. A look of surprise flitted through his eyes before he looked away. Aqua smiled and she walked towards him.

“It’s woman’s intuition. Besides, I’m sure Sora will finally be able to have a peaceful night of sleep now that you’re here with him.” The door opened and Terra walked in with two full bags of cooked food from the local restaurant.

Aqua walked over and grabbed one of the bags. She ushered Terra and Riku towards the kitchen. The table was set and Ven had begun asking Leon the questions.

As soon as the smell of food wafted throughout the kitchen, Ven stopped talking, his head whipping towards the threshold. Sora giggled and he walked over to Riku as Aqua and Ven began laying out the food on the table. He grabbed both of Riku’s hand, intertwining their fingers together. Sora felt incredibly reassured and relaxed knowing Riku was back with him.

“Thank you, Riku.” He whispered. Riku had to painfully control himself and not haul Sora away. Instead, he pulled Sora around the corner, away from the others’ eyes, and kissed him. Sora smiled into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck.

“Dinner’s ready!” Ven yelled, startling the couple. Sora blushed and he grabbed Riku’s hand, walking back into the kitchen as they sat side by side at the table with the others. 


	31. Chapter 31

Whatever Riku was hoping for, it didn’t happen the first night.

Mainly because Sora hadn’t slept with him in their room at all; not that Riku had planned to let Sora sleep after being separated for almost a year. His plan was halted when Leon told Sora to sleep in his room.

The excuse Leon provided: to give Sora a physical exam.

And it’s not like Leon _purposely_ separated the two but Riku thought he had one hell of a timing. On the second night, while Riku slept alone, Sora was still awake in the room across from Riku. The window curtains were parted, illuminating the room with moonlight. He stood near the edge of the bed, shirtless as Leon had his fingers pressed against Sora’s back. Sora sighed and he fidgeted around, anxiously looking at the door.

“Sora, stay still.” Leon said.

“I can’t,” Sora replied. “I want to be with Riku.”

“Not until I make sure nothing is physically wrong.”

“Why can’t we do this during the day?” Sora asked, turned his head to the side as he glanced at Leon. Leon poked the small of Sora’s back.

“You attach yourself to the hip as soon as you see him.” Leon answered.

Sora huffed, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked away. Of course he stayed close to Riku. Sora sighed and then yawned as he stretched his arms over his head. What he really wanted was to sleep with Riku. He missed sleeping with another body next to him. He somehow managed to sleep by himself and he slept a tiny bit better with the body pillow Ven gave him for Christmas but it wasn’t the same as sleeping with another warm body.

Sora never went long without having someone else sleep with him. Until the day Leon became his Guardian, he would sleep with his nanny. Then he slept in the same room as Leon and Leon tried to get Sora to sleep by himself. That never took off. Later on, he did sleep in his own room but with Kairi and Naminé. Now it was Riku. Sora smiled as he blushed.

Perhaps there were _other_ things he wanted to do, but he truly wanted to sleep with Riku again.

“Has your legs ever pained you?” Leon asking, distracting Sora from his thoughts.

Sora shook his head, “Not now. During the first few weeks, they did hurt me. But it was a pulsating pain. It went away.” Leon pulled his hands away. He grabbed Sora’s shoulder and directed him to sit on the bed. Leon stood up and he kneeled in front of Sora. He lifted the soft cloth wrapped around Sora’s waist as he ran his hands up Sora’s leg to his thigh.

“Leon, the other day, you said I would only be the Pincoy by title now. I’m still in the Kingdom?”

“Of course,” Leon said, running his fingers back down Sora’s leg before switching to his left leg. “Why do you ask?”

“I thought…well, since I returned the Pincoy voice to the ocean…I wouldn’t be part of the Kingdom…like Cloud.” Leon’s hand stopped halfway up Sora’s legs. Sora watched him, wondering if Leon would answer him or not. Topics about Cloud weren’t Leon’s favorite conversations.

“…Cloud broke off all ties with his Kingdom. His only remaining tie to the East Kingdom is Zexion.” Leon said. “Do you want to separate from the Kingdom as well?”

Sora vigorously shook his head. He didn’t at all. He couldn’t even begin to imagine a life without Kairi, Naminé, Wakka, or Cid. Sora knew he would miss everyone, from the soldiers to his previous caretakers. He would even miss the King himself, for all those times he used to swim around in the Throne room when he was younger. He definitely couldn’t imagine severing all ties to them. Which made him wonder why Cloud would break ties with his own Kingdom? Sora frowned and he clutched the bed sheets.

“Why did Cloud do that?” He whispered.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Leon said. His eyes glazed over, remembering various times he would spot Cloud with a distant, tired look in his eyes. And he remembered feeling absolutely helpless. He couldn’t even help keep that look away from Cloud’s eyes.

“There were many reasons but I think he couldn’t handle the responsibility of being the Pincoy. The East Kingdom is different from our Kingdom, Sora. The rules given to you were different for him in that Kingdom.” Sora intently watched Leon as he continued to run his fingers along his leg.

“But he’s happy now,” Sora said. “Sephiroth makes him happy.” Sora noticed Leon’s finger tense. Leon pulled away his hands as he stood up. Sora quickly reached out and grabbed Leon’s hands, surprising him. Sora gazed up at Leon with a reassuring smile. “And I know that you made him happy, if only for awhile.”

Leon looked at his hands; Sora’s hands holding onto his. Compared to his hand, Sora’s hands were still small. Those hands never really grew. He remembered countless times Sora would quietly hold his hands whenever he thought of Cloud.

Sora was very perceptive of Leon’s emotions, no matter how much he tried to hide them. Sora grinned when he felt Leon gently squeeze his fingers.

“I’ll have to make sure your magic circulatory system isn’t damaged. Can you conjure magic?” Leon asked. Sora nodded and he held out his palm. A small swirl of magic appeared on the middle of his palm. He furrowed his brow as he concentrated on the magic. It didn’t last long and he let it disperse, gasping from just that small effort.

“Leon, how can I be the Pincoy if I don’t even have enough magic to hold a small orb in my palm?” Sora asked, worried. “I would drown.”

“You’re forgetting what you are, Sora.” Leon said as he sat beside Sora. “Tell me, we are not much different from humans. Why is that?” He asked.

Sora pouted as he glared at him. “Really! A quiz in the middle of the night?!”

“Just answer the question. I can’t have you forgetting your lessons.” Leon said.

“I haven’t!” Sora huffed. “We’re born with a magic core that varies with every mermen and mermaid. It continuously builds until it stops at the limit of what the mermaid can handle.” Sora recited. “And a Pincoy’s magic never stops growing, hence the need to harvest their voice.” He added because he knew Leon would ask that.

And the smirk he saw confirmed that.

“Give it some time and your own magic will restore. It definitely won’t be as much as the Pincoy’s magic, but you do have your own limit.”

“Will it be enough to let me swim?” Sora asked.

“Probably,” Leon said. “Do you still have your necklace?”

Sora nodded. “I tried to wear it once when I woke up but it only made me sick.”

“You put it on too soon.” Leon said. “You were most likely too weak to cope with the power inside the gem. Cloud had the same trouble the first year.”

“How do you know?” Sora asked.

“Zexion.” Leon said.

“So…I can wear it?” Sora asked. Leon nodded and he heard the sigh of relief as Sora leaned against Leon. He felt so relieved that he could swim in the ocean. He didn’t completely have to break ties with the ocean. Leon glanced at Sora then looked away as he patted Sora’s head.

“Tomorrow, I’ll start with the thorough examination of your legs.” Leon said. “That human…” Sora jabbed him in the stomach, sternly gazing up at Leon. Leon sighed and corrected himself. “Riku, I mean, he’s not bad for a human. You can go to him if you want.” Sora’s eyes widened and he hugged his Guardian.

“Thanks for your approval, Leon.” Sora whispered as he dashed towards to the door. He silently closed the door behind him and made his way back to his room where Riku was sleeping. Leon stared at the door then fell back on his bed.

“Approval, huh?”

Sora slowly opened the door, stepping into the dark room. He blinked several times as he closed the door behind him as he waited to adjust to the lack of light. Riku had the curtains drawn shut so the moonlight wouldn’t shine through. Sora walked towards the bed. He could see Riku on his stomach.

Sora reached out and climbed onto bed. He brushed back Riku’s bangs from his eyes and simply watched him. Sora smiled and he trailed his hand down the side of Riku’s face. He wanted to wake Riku up but, on the other hand, he looked peaceful sleeping. Sora settled himself beside Riku, slipping underneath the covers as he faced Riku.

“About damn time.” Riku mumbled, staring directly at Sora.

Sora gasped as Riku suddenly pulled him close. Riku maneuvered himself over Sora, pinning the brunet underneath him. Sora looked up at Riku, surprised that Riku was awake. Riku smirked as he pulled back Sora’s bangs from his eyes.

“What’s with the face?” He said then kissed him before Sora could answer. Sora shivered, feeling the possessive forcefulness of the kiss. And he missed it. Sora lifted his arm and he wrapped them around Riku’s neck, tangling his fingers in Riku’s silky hair.

He breathlessly moaned as Riku trailed kissed along his neck. Sora gasped as he felt Riku part his legs and nudged his knee against his groin. Riku looked between the spaces of their bodies, seeing Sora’s erection quite prominently underneath the cloth Sora wore.

“You’re already like this?” Riku asked, pressing his knee against Sora’s groin again. Sora moaned, his back arched off the bed as quick nerves of pleasure shot throughout his body.

“We haven’t touched in so long. I missed it so much.” Sora gasped, stuttering and moaning as Riku pressed his knee once again against Sora. The expression Sora made was intoxicating to Riku. His flushed cheeks and lips parted to catch his breath was an expression only he would ever see and he wanted to see more.

Sora shuddered as he pulled Riku’s face back down for another breath stealing kiss. Sora nipped at Riku’s bottom lip, gasping as he felt Riku nudge his knee against him. He could feel the cloth slid off his waist, exposing more of his legs and groin. Sora lifted his right leg, the cloth sliding down his thighs, as he hooked his leg over Riku’s waist.

“Sora?”

“Take it off.” Sora asked, rubbing his leg against Riku’s shorts. Riku easily complied, sliding his shorts off as Sora pulled the rest off with his leg. Sora sighed contently as he ran his hand down along Riku’s lean back. Sora ran his hand down Riku’s side, and Riku watched Sora’s face, as he felt Sora touch his erection.

“I want this in me, Riku.” Sora whispered, rubbing his hand over it. Riku shuddered and he completely disregarded the idea of foreplay. With the way Sora was gazing at him, that heady look clouding those blue eyes, he couldn’t possibly deny a request like that.

“I’m glad I came prepared.” Riku said, balancing himself on his knees as he reached for his discarded pants.

Sora grabbed Riku’s free hand and Riku watched as Sora began sucking on his fingers. Riku shivered, feeling Sora’s tongue glide over fingers. He leaned over Sora, intently staring at the brunet as he sucked each finger. Riku pulled his hand away and kissed Sora.

Sora arched his back, moaning into the kiss as he felt Riku push a slick finger into him. Sora pushed his hips down against Riku’s hand. Sora shuddered as he felt another finger push inside him. Sora gasped, breaking the deep kiss as Riku continued to thrust his fingers into Sora. He gripped Riku’s shoulders, shivering as Riku began kissing along the side of Sora’s neck.

“…ahh…” Sora squirmed, his breathy moaning echoing in the room. Riku pulled his fingers out and no sooner that he did, he positioned the tip of his cock deep into Sora. Sora moaned loudly, his hands clutching the sheets as he writhed underneath Riku. His toes curled as he came.

Sora panted heavily as he settled his hands on his stomach. He could feel the sticky white substance on his fingers and stomach. He looked up at Riku, seeing the surprise in his blue eyes. Sora blushed, knowing he came too soon but he couldn’t help it.

“Riku…keep going…next time…together.” Sora said.

Riku nodded and he pulled out. He shifted Sora around to hands and knees. Sora arched his back as he felt Riku enter him again. He shuddered, feeling Riku’s hands on his hips. Sora pushed back as he rested on his forearms.

He paced and pushed back with every one of Riku’s deep thrusts. Sora clutched the sheets in his hands, pleasure filling his body.  Riku leaned over Sora, kissing the back of Sora’s neck. Sora turned his head to the side to look at Riku. Sweat dripped down Riku’s face, his bright eyes gleaming with a lustful gaze.

“Ah! Riku…” He closed his eyes as Riku thrust in harder. Breathy moans filled the room as the mounting heat around them climbed and climbed. Sora tensed his body, tightening the warm recess Riku was thrusting into.

His face flushed, the rising heat with his body, and the short but rapid succession of pleasure every time Riku thrust into him kept adding to their mounting heat. Sora opened his eyes, glancing back at Riku. He wanted to run his fingers through that soft mane of hair; to touch his face when they would climax together.

“…Riku…” came the heady moan of Sora.

Riku understood well enough. He grabbed Sora’s arms, helping him up to his knees. Sora shuddered, gripping his hands on Riku’s thighs. Sora’s toes curled as he felt Riku run his fingers over his nipples.

Riku’s thrusts kept getting harder into Sora, relishing in the moans of his brunet. Sora tilted his head to the side, kissing his jaw as he searched for Riku’s lips. Riku grabbed Sora’s chin, titling his head back as he languidly kissing him. Sora shuddered, his nerves attacked by an onslaught of pleasure as he climaxed.

Riku grunted as he came inside Sora with a deep thrust. Sora writhed against Riku, shuddering when felt Riku pull out of him. He panted heavily, staring at the uneven and broken trail of sperm on the sheet in front of him. His knees quivered and Sora sat down, leaning back against Riku’s chest.

“Riku, I missed you.” Sora whispered, resting his head against Riku’s shoulder. Riku chuckled as he rested his arms over Sora’s stomach.

“I believe you said that before.” He said. Sora smiled. He tilted his head towards Riku’s neck. He opened his mouth, grazing his teeth against Riku’s neck. Riku shivered as he felt Sora suck on that spot, no doubt leaving a mark.

Sora wanted to go at it again. A tiny voice in his head said otherwise and he remembered Leon mentioning humans having a lot less stamina. But mating once wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough to make up for their lost time.

“Riku?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we mate again?”

\------

Riku woke up at nearly twelve in the afternoon the next day; alone.

Riku vaguely remembered Sora waking up earlier then leaving. Which he didn’t understand how that was completely possible considering how many times they went at it last night. Not that he was complaining, so much as wondering how Sora could still have energy to get up.

Riku stared at the ceiling before he forced himself out of bed. He yawned, staring blankly into space before he started getting dressed. Once dressed and freshened up, Riku headed downstairs.

“Good afternoon, Riku.” Aqua greeted, walking out from the kitchen.

“Afternoon,” Riku replied. He looked around the kitchen then peaked in the living room. He couldn’t see or hear Sora. “Is Sora here?” He asked.

“He’s in the basement cleaning his bed sheets.” Aqua said, walking into the kitchen.

Riku felt his face heat up as he looked away. That certainly wasn’t something Riku wanted to hear from her. He wasn’t embarrassed, maybe a tiny little bit, but he was mostly taken off guard.

“Where?” He asked. He heard her chuckle as Aqua walked towards Riku and handed him a plate full of heated food: toast with butter, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages.

“Just go down the hallway and take the last door to your right,” She said. “I’m heading to work and Terra should be here in about two hours.” Riku nodded, keeping silent as she left.

Riku made his way down the hallway, opening the last door to his right which led to stairs. He could hear Sora’s voice and another’s. Riku walked through the threshold at the bottom of the stairs, the basement appearing not what he had in mind.

It was a well-lit spacious single room. There were several large beanbags scattered through the room, a semi-circle of them in front a wide TV screen with various game consoles hooked up to it. At the back of the room Riku saw another door where he heard Sora’s voice wafting out of it.

“…So I ended up getting scolded by Leon a lot more than usual.” Sora concluded as Riku walked into the back room. He saw Sora, sitting atop of the dryer machine as it shook. Ven was sitting on a beanbag chair in front of the machines and Leon was standing by Sora’s side with his usual expressionless face. Sora looked up and he beamed brightly at Riku. “Good morning, Riku!”

“It’s the afternoon now, Sora.” Leon corrected.

“Huh? It is?” Sora asked as he looked at Leon. “How do you know?” Leon held out his hand, showing Sora the watch he wore around his wrist. Sora furrowed his brow.

Leon’s watch didn’t have the flashing numbers or the two letters that indicated whether it was the morning or afternoon. Sora sighed and scrunched his nose at Leon. It was easier for him to tell time with the actual numbers rather than the tiny ticking sticks.

“You sounded really rebellious when you were younger.” Ven said.

“He was just stubborn.” Leon commented. Sora wrinkled his nose at Leon again, this time sticking his tongue out at his Guardian.

“Sora, why are you sitting on top the dryer?” Riku asked as he walked towards Sora.

“It’s fun.” Sora said, smiling. Riku sighed, letting his answer stay where it was. He would get over it once he found something else more interesting. Riku leaned against the washing machine, setting the plate beside him on the machine.

Sora glanced at Riku and he gripped his fingers over the edge of the dryer. He bit his bottom lip, quickly glancing away when Riku looked at him.

“Umm, Riku, I’m sorry if I was aggressive last night.” Sora said, looking at the ground. Riku’s eyebrows twitched and Leon sighed as Ven blushed.

“Sora,” Riku started. “This is not the sort of conversation we have with other people in the room.”

“Speaking of other people, I have to get going.” Ven said as he stood up, still red in the face. “I have graduation practice.”

“Okay!” Sora called out as Ven left. He turned towards Riku. “Why not?”

And Riku didn’t know how to explain it to him. “It’s just not.”

“If you’re going to stay on the surface, you have to learn human modesty.” Leon said. Sora turned to look at his Guardian now. It seemed like they were ganging up on him. All he wanted to do was to apologize.

Soon after they were done, Riku was asleep in an instant as soon as he had replaced the bed sheets with new ones from the closet. Sora sighed, crossing his arms across his chest as he tried to see their point.

“Well, I’m sorry either way,” Sora said, looking at Riku. “I really tried to stop it at three but…I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“His aggressiveness should subside in a few days now that you’re with him,” Leon said. “By the time the mating season starts, his sexual appetite should be back to its normal. Sora, I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”

Sora nodded as Leon began walking out the room. “You guys have no qualms about talking about these matters in public, don’t you.” Riku stated.

“It’s who we are.” Leon said as he left. Riku smirked as he turned back to look at Sora.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Riku said. “Besides, the aggressive you is surprisingly sexy.” Sora grinned, hopping off the dryer and stood in front of Riku.

He gripped the hem of Riku’s shirt, his head bowed as he felt his face heat up. Riku stared down at the top of Sora’s head, waiting.

“I was scared the first time we mated. Not for reasons you might be thinking now. In the ocean, we spend those three months in the summer to ultimately find our mate. It’s usually done by trial and error but you’re my only mate. We also gain experience to better pleasure each other. There are two things we merfolk pride ourselves in: our tails and our ability to seduce and pleasure. I didn’t know if you were also feeling good. The last thing I want to be is a selfish lover.” Sora rested his head against Riku’s chest. “Hearing you say that makes me really happy.”

Riku lifted his hand, gently grabbing Sora by his chin as he made the brunet look up at him. He stared at Sora, noticing the light flush against his cheeks. Sora stared up at him, glancing to the side as he turned a deeper shade of red.

Sora smiled and he closed his eyes as he pressed Riku’s warm palm against his cheek. If anyone was the selfish lover, Riku figured it was him, for wanting to keep all to himself despite knowing Sora’s role to his kingdom.

“Riku?” Sora asked, staring up at him.

“I’m not letting you go,” Riku said as he ran his thumb along Sora’s bottom lip. “I’m probably the selfish lover here but you satisfy me plenty enough.” Sora smiled as he wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck. “And I’ll say it as many times as you’ll want to hear.” Riku whispered against Sora’s ear.

Sora shivered against Riku’s body as his face heated up. He traced his fingers along Riku’s collarbone, staring at a darkened kiss mark he left along the side of Riku’s neck. He pressed his finger against the bruise, running his finger down to the hollow of Riku’s collarbone where he saw another mark.

“Sora, let’s go outside for awhile.” Riku said. Sora nodded but he didn’t move. Instead, with a devious twinkle in his eyes, he kneeled in front of Riku. He looked up at Riku as he licked his lips.

“But first teach me more about foreplay.”

Riku definitely like an aggressive Sora.

\------

“You have the camera, right Aqua?” Ven asked, nervously looking at her.

Aqua smiled as she pulled out her digital camera from her light blue messenger bag. Ven’s graduation fell on a beautiful Saturday morning. There wasn’t a cloud in the endless expanse of sky. Ven’s gown was silver with black running along the hem of the gown. The tassel on Ven’s cap was also silver and black.

The graduation procession was being held outside on the football field. There was a raised stage in the middle of the field facing the bleachers. In front of the stage were four rows of chairs for the graduating seniors. Sora looked around.

He could feel the festive-like feel in the air as he noticed proud parents taking hundreds of pictures of their children. Sora smiled as he looked at Ven. He could feel that Terra and Aqua were very proud of Ven.

“I like the feeling here.” Sora said to Riku. He looked around for Leon, spotting him already seated on the front row of the bleachers. Sora sighed but at least he was making an effort. Sora knew he couldn’t get Leon to instantly like humans.

Sora walked towards the fence around the field as he stared at the stage. Large bundles of black and silver balloons were anchored at the corners of the stage. They swayed gently in the air and behind the stage was an arch of black and silver balloons that stretched from one side to the other. A podium was at the center of the stage and a few sets of chair behind the podium on either side of it.

“For whatever reason, I feel old staring at this.” Riku said as he stood beside Sora. He leaned against the fence as he stared at the stage with a reminiscing look in his eyes.

“You had a graduation?” Sora asked.

Riku nodded, “For high school. Ours took place outside as well but on the hill. And our colors were blue and white.” Sora looked back at the stage. His studies had been stalled, on account of running away from the Palace to see Riku. If he hadn’t, he probably would’ve graduated from his primary studies along with Naminé and Kairi.

But that was that and there wasn’t much he could do about it. Sora looked behind him and he started to notice the graduating students were started to leave towards the field.

“Sora!” Ven called out. Sora moved away from the fence as he jogged towards Ven. “They’re starting now so I have to get in line.”

“Okay, where’s Terra and Aqua?”

“On the bleachers.” Ven said as he pointed behind Sora. Sora followed his finger, spotting Terra and

Aqua sitting on the first row with Leon. Sora nodded and they parted ways, Ven towards his friends and Sora towards Riku. Sora sat in-between Leon and Riku and they waited as the bleachers started to fill up.

Thirty minutes later, they heard the beginnings of the marching band. Behind the procession were the graduating students. In rows of two, they paraded in front of the bleachers. Parents around them were cheering and taking pictures. Sora noticed a few of the students were either grinning ear to ear or crying; some were grinning and crying at the same time. Sora looked at Leon, tugging his shirt.

“Why are some crying? Isn’t this a happy occasion?” Sora asked.

“It is,” Leon said. “They’re crying because they’re happy. For humans, graduating high school usually marks the beginning when they leave their parents care to discover their own paths.”

“Or they’re happy to have survived the hell called high school.” Terra added. Aqua giggled as she spotted Ven amongst the middle of the second row.

She and Terra cheered and Sora could see Ven rub the corners of his eyes but he was smiling. Sora gently smiled as Ven looked towards them and waved his arms. They took their places in front of the seats before the stage as the band kept playing until everyone was at their seat. When the last row arrived to their seats, the band concluded their song and the principle stepped up to the podium.

Then the speeches began. Sora leaned his head against Riku’s shoulder as he looked on. When the valedictorian was giving his speech, Sora noticed some rustling amongst the students. Not a moment later, he saw a large beach ball bounce around in the air. Soon other beach balls joined the large one, being bounced from one side to the other. Sora looked up at Riku.

There was a subtle smile on his lips as he looked at the field. Sora looked back towards the field and he could feel the happiness from the graduating students. He didn’t know why they were bouncing beach balls and varies other inflatable toys but no one on stage seemed to mind.

When the speeches were done, the principal stepped back up to the podium and he began reading names. One by one, they walked up to the stage, stepping towards the podium as they were handed their diplomas. When all the names were called and they were back at their seats, the principal once again stepped up to the podium.

“…and with that, I’ll like to congratulate all of you on your well-earned graduation!”

The students cheered as beach balls, silly string and caps were flung high into the air. Friends and classmates congratulated each other, exchanging tears and smiles. It took a while to find Ven among the mass of students on the field but Sora quickly spotted the blond.

He was rushing towards the fence, a dark booklet with gold letters on the cover above his head. Aqua and Terra grinned. Instead of taking the stairs like everyone else was, Aqua hopped over the fence, landing on the ground with grace as she ran towards the other fence, jumping over that one too. Terra laughed, going after her as Aqua embraced Ven. Sora remained where he was though he smiled for them. It was their moment to share.

“Is everything in the car?” Leon asked Riku. Riku nodded.

“We can leave at anytime.”

“Not before we say goodbye.” Sora said, looking at Leon.

\------

By the time the afternoon rolled in, Ven and the others were back at home.

Riku and Leon were making sure they had all their things before they left. Sora was in the room he slept in for the last year. He climbed onto the bed and threw open the window. A gentled breeze brushed past him, making the curtains sway.

He gazed at the far mountain peaks and he knew he would miss the view. Sora looked away and sat down on the bed as he pulled his messenger bag onto his lap. Inside the bag was all of the wood carving Terra had given for Christmas. He reached in and pulled out a sea turtle carving. He smiled as he ran his finger along the shell before placing it back inside the bag.

He also had all the notebooks he used to communicate with Aqua and the others when his voice still hadn’t returned to him. The body pillow Ven had given was by his side. It was well-worn now but Sora was glad he had it. It did help on those nights when he couldn’t sleep. Near the headboard of the bed was the shelf where he kept his necklace. He reached over and grabbed it.

There was a fine layer of dust covering the gem and the casing. Sora blew on it, the dust gathering in the air. Sora sneezed as he turned his head away.

“I’m sorry I neglected you.” Sora said as he wiped the rest of the dust off. He touched the necklace he wore, his fingers running over the tinted glass of the Wayfinder. “It looks like I won’t need you as much. But it’s thanks you to that I was able to be with Riku.” The magic that swirled inside the gem gleamed.

Sora smiled as he placed his necklace inside the bag. “Thank you.” He closed up the bag and slung the strand over his shoulder. He grabbed his pillow and walked towards the door. Sora turned around, looking once more at the room. With a farewell smile, Sora closed the door and headed downstairs.

Leon and Riku were waiting for him by the front door. Sora walked over to Leon. Leon took Sora’s pillow and bag. “I’ll wait for you in the car.” He said.

Sora nodded and Leon left. Riku tapped Sora’s shoulder and pointed behind him. Sora turned around to face Terra, Aqua, and Ven. Sora smiled as he stared at the three people who have taken care of him. He didn’t know what to say to them.

“I’m not going to say goodbye.” Sora said. “It sounds too final.” Sora smiled as he touched his Wayfinder. Aqua smiled as she pulled out her Wayfinder. Ven and Terra pulled out their Wayfinder.

“So what will you say?” Terra asked. Sora thought about it for a moment. He felt a soft jab on his side. Sora looked behind him and noticed Riku handing him his phone.

“Give them my phone number.” He said. Sora grinned and he grabbed Riku’s phone, flipping it open as he walked towards Aqua and the others. They exchanged numbers and Sora slipped Riku’s phone into his pocket.

“I’ll see you later is much better than saying goodbye.” Sora said. Aqua smiled as she hugged the brunet. He felt a large hand ruffling up his already mused up hair. Sora chuckled as Terra patted his head. Sora looked at Ven and Ven stared back at Sora.

“I’ll see you later then.” Ven said. He held out his fist in front of him. Sora nodded as he pressed his fist against Ven’s.

“Sora, we should get going.” Riku said. Sora nodded and he moved away. With a final smile to Terra, Ven, and Aqua, Sora left their house with Riku. Leon was in the driver seat, the car running. Sora and Riku climbed in to the back seat. Sora sighed as Leon began driving. Riku glanced at Sora as the brunet leaned against him.

“Are you okay?” Riku asked.

Sora nodded but he gripped Riku’s hand. Riku smiled as he rubbed his thumb over Sora’s hand. After a year of being away, Sora was glad to being going back to the place he was going to call home.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 10/4/2016
> 
> I kinda wanna add a little (giant) thank you to everyone who has read or is reading this fic. This continues, and probably will be, the proudest thing I've worked on since its concept way back in 2008? Nearly 8 years ago? And the *actual* year I spent writing this from 2009-2010.
> 
> All because I fell in fucking love with Sora's Atlantic form and wanted to make a fic solely centered around that (and Riku too). 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope ya'll enjoyed the story just as much as I had fun creating it!

Sora stared out the window at the passing landscape. Grassland and hills rolled past his eyes at a steady pace. The afternoon sun blazed brightly, casting shadows on the few trees that were scattered around.  On the other side of the car, beyond the roads and other cars driving past in the opposite direction, was a lake with the sunlight sparkling off the reflective surface.

Leon was driving up front and Riku was beside him, staring out the other window. They’ve been driving for nearly a week, taking the nights to sleep in motels in small towns. Now that they weren’t going to stop in every town and city near the coast line since Sora was already found, the trip back to Destiny Island was quick then the few odd months it took to find him.

Sora moved away from the window, sitting back down beside Riku. He pulled his feet up, tucking his legs underneath him as he leaned against Riku.

“Are we there yet?” He asked.

“We’re almost there,” Leon said. “So stop asking.”

“Fine…but you didn’t answer the last time.”

“Which last time?” Riku asked, poking Sora’s stomach. Sora stuck his tongue out at Riku then glanced towards the driver’s seat.

“We should get there by nighttime.” Leon said. “Sora, we’ll have to go to the Kingdom when we get there.”

“Hmm? Why? You mean right away?” Sora asked, leaning forward. Leon nodded. “Can it wait until the morning?” He pulled away from Riku and climbed towards the front of the car. He sat down on the passenger seat and gazed at Leon with begging eyes. “Please?”

Leon sighed as he glanced at the brunet before he looked back at the road. Sora was playing dirty with those glistening blue eyes of his and he knew it.

“What do you need to do there?” Riku asked Leon. He wasn’t too keen on the idea.

“We have to discuss with the King how to address this with the people. They’ve been worried about him. The same would happen if Naminé and Kairi were gone.” Leon said. “Then there’s the marriage to be worked out.”

“What marriage?” Riku asked, perking up from his seat. Sora didn’t mention anything about a marriage. The brunet slipped back to the back seat, taking his spot next to Riku again.

“The Pincoy and Pincoya are usually married with each other,” He explained. “That means I probably would’ve married Kairi. But Kairi and I already discussed it years ago. If the feelings weren’t there, we weren’t going to marry.”

Riku looked at Sora. “Why am I hearing about this now?” Sora chuckled and he grabbed Riku’s hand.

“It’s a political marriage,” Leon said. “But it’s not the most important concern to the Kingdom. This king is more lenient than the one in the East.”

“So Cloud would’ve eventually had to marry the Pincoya of the East Kingdom whether he wanted to or not?” Sora asked. Leon nodded. “Who was she?”

Leon remained quiet for a few seconds. “Tifa. She’s the Pincoya of the East. And the Sirena is a girl named Aerith.” Leon added, answering Sora’s unasked question. Sora hummed thoughtfully as he laid down on the seat, resting his head on Riku’s lap. He reached up and grazed his fingers along Riku’s jaw.

“You don’t have to worry.” Sora said.

“Who said I was worried?” Riku said, looking out the window.

Sora smiled as he traced his fingers along Riku’s jaw line to his ear. Even though they were separated for a year, Sora was able to pick up on the subtle little tell-tell signs without much trouble. As if they’ve never been apart at all. And hearing of Sora’s almost-marriage didn’t please him.

“Besides, between you and me, Leon, I think Kairi has a crush on Saïx.” He said.

He quickly glanced at Riku and noticed the very subtle change in-between his pale brows. Sora smiled and grabbed Riku’s hand, intertwining his fingers with Riku’s and left their clasped hands rest on top of his belly. He stared at Riku’s fingers and he wished Leon would stop at a motel.

It seemed all they’ve done in the past week was drive, sleep, and in Sora’s and Riku’s case, mate. He was trying his best to control his urges and for the most part he was succeeding. And he was sure Leon would scold him if he tried anything in the car. Sora yawned, opting for sleep, curling up as he started to drift off. He could feel warm fingers in his hair as he was lulled back into a peaceful nap.

\------

“Sora, wake up.”

Sora mumbled, slowly blinking as he sat upright. He groggily looked around.

The sun was gone and in its place was the moon glowing brightly. The night sky was cloudless, letting the stars shine brightly amongst the other sparkling stars. He yawned, lazily looking to find the college building. Instead, all he saw were houses. Sora furrowed his brows in thought.

He was sure he didn’t forget how the college dorm looked like in only a year. He pressed his face against the window, gazing hard at his surroundings. All he could see were nice houses. Sora turned back as he looked at Riku, giving him a curious look.

“Where are we?” He asked. Sora looked to the driver seat and he realized Leon was gone.

“Let’s go.” Riku said as he opened the back door. Still confused, Sora followed him out the car. He stared up at the sky, at the endless stretch of stars.

From Aqua’s house, he could all see the stars as clear as day time but the air was different. The mountain air smelled clean. Fragrances of the pine trees were all he could smell in the mountains. And while he liked that scent, Sora loved the aroma of the sea air even more.

The fragrance of the sea comforted him. He could hear the gentle ebb and flow of waves from the beach. Completely forgetting the fact that he wasn’t near the college, Sora followed the sound of the ocean. He ran up a short hill not too far from the car.

The ocean, his first home, was at the bottom of the hill. The dark waters didn’t look threatening at all. Rather, they looked inviting. He could hear Riku call out to him but Sora wasn’t listening. He knew he shouldn’t, he didn’t even have his necklace with him, but the water was calling to him.

The familiar smell of salt water wasn’t helping at all to dissuade him. He grinned widely as he ran down the hill. He could hear Riku shout his name but Sora didn’t stop.

He grabbed his shirt and pulled it off, tossing it aside. His foot slipped on grass, making Sora fall and tumble down the hill. Sora grinned and laughed loudly as he quickly straightened up mid-tumble. The air rushed past him as he continued to run towards the bottom of the hill.

The dirt and grass slowly turned to sand and the ground leveled evenly. Sora quickly stopped, taking off his sneakers and he dug his toes into dry sand. A pleasant chill ran up his spine. He walked further out until the sand turned wet and the waves were licking his toes before it receded back into the sea.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he ran into the cold water with a big splash. He shivered but he kept going until he was up to his waist in the ocean.

Taking a deep breath, Sora dove into the water. He was quickly enveloped by the salty water, his hearing muffled. He floated underneath the waves, grinning ear to ear. If he closed his eyes, he could feel the sea cradle him. He missed the weightlessness the sea provided and the timelessness he felt.

With his arms and legs spread out, he let the ocean embrace him. He stayed under as long as he could until his lungs started burning. He kicked his legs and surfaced, sucking in a lungful of air. He could see Riku waiting for him from the shore. Sora sheepishly grinned as he swam towards the shore.

“I had a feeling you were going to do that.” Riku said, holding out a towel for Sora. Sora grinned as he took the towel, draping it over his shoulders.

“I used to make early morning trips to the sea at the bottom of the mountain. Every day without fail until I promised myself I wouldn’t anymore. The smell of the ocean kind of weakened that resolve.” He smiled sheepishly. “So why aren’t we at the college?”

“We won’t need to go there.” Riku said as he began walking towards the hill. Sora stood there, confused by what he said, before he ran after Riku. He grabbed his sneakers and shirt along the ground as he caught up to his mate.

“What do you mean?” He asked. “Don’t you live there?”

“Yes and no.” Riku replied. “I have a home separate from the college. Sooner or later, someone would’ve reported you to the RA and then things would’ve gotten complicated.”

“Complicated? How?”

“University rule. No one outside the college is supposed to stay over without a guest pass.” They reached the top of the hill and began walking to the car parked a few blocks away.

Sora looked around, noticing the lights of fireflies flickering sporadically. He really didn’t understand what Riku was trying to say. All he managed to gather was that Riku wasn’t going back to the college. He caught up to Riku again as he left the fireflies to flicker amongst each other.

“So…you’re saying you have nowhere to sleep?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Sora huffed, pouting as he walked ahead of Riku. He could hear Riku chuckle behind him. His mate was obviously having fun confusing him.

“You’re confusing me on purpose, aren’t you?” The brunet mumbled. Riku reached out and slid his hand down Sora’s nape, feeling him shiver slightly underneath his fingertips.

“You’re not letting me finish.” Riku said. “Before I left with Leon to find you, there were a few things I had to do. Mainly, it was finding a place for us. Your treasure chest was deposited into the bank, under your name, and all the gems were converted to money.”

“My gems were turned into money?” Sora asked. “I don’t have a need for human monetary.” He paused, thinking it over. “Wait…never mind, I guess I do.”

Riku chuckled before he moved on. “With a small portion of it, Leon thought it was best to buy a house and we did.”

Riku stopped as he grabbed Sora’s shoulder and turned him around. Sora, too caught up in the conversation, hadn’t noticed they were at the car. The car was parked in front of two-floor home. A porch wrapped around the exterior of the home.

Balloons were tied to the poles before the front door, with a banner reading _Welcome Home, Sora!!_ in-between the balloons. Sora scratched his head as he turned to look at Riku.

“We live here?”

Riku nodded. “Let’s go inside.” Sora absentmindedly nodded.

He followed Riku along the stone path to the porch. It was taking a moment to realize the impact of having a house and it didn’t take long. He felt an immense swelling inside his chest as he realized they had a home together. A place for them to be together and he felt giddy.

“My house,” He whispered to himself. “Our house. Our home.” Sora blushed.

He peeked at Riku’s back as his mate was getting the keys to open the door. Once every mermaid and mermen found their mate, eventually the talk of settlement would be discussed.  From what little he remembered from his lessons, humans rarely settled down at a young adult age. Most would be in their late twenties or early thirties before they thought about settling down with their mates.

Sora dropped everything he was holding on the front porch just as Riku had opened the door. He launched himself at his mate, knocking him back through the doorway and into the floor of the foyer.

Sora landed on top of him and without a moment’s hesitation, he began kissing Riku. At the same time, the lights flicked on and the cheerful greeting home died on the lips of Naminé, Kairi, and Roxas as they watched Sora, quite passionately, kiss his mate.

“…”

“SORA!” Kairi yelled. Sora stopped, quickly looking up at the amused faces of his friends. Sora’s eyes widened and he quickly scrambled to his feet.

He ran towards the girls, hugging them in one massive hug. Riku stood up as well, watching their reunion. The three of them were practically glowing, Sora having the biggest smile. But he couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

Kairi and Naminé were both wearing next to nothing; only the same pearl-colored fabric he’d seen Sora wear and a top of the same material covering their breasts. Not to mention Sora himself was shirtless. He closed the door behind him, kicking the annoying thought away.

“Riku, we’ll be taking Sora away. You’ll have him back by morning…maybe.” Kairi smiled as she and Naminé grabbed hold of Sora’s hand and dragged him up the stairs. Naminé raced back down and grabbed Roxas’s hand.

“You know you’re curious too.” She said with a smile as she pulled the blond merman with her. That left Leon, Riku, and Axel alone in the foyer.

“What just happened?” Axel asked.

“They’re going to talk.” Leon replied, heading to the living room. He knew from firsthand experience how much Kairi, Naminé, and Sora loved to talk. “He’s not coming back any time soon so you might as well go to sleep.”

\------

The girls took Sora into a large room. It was a bare room except for a large and soft bed. They sat together on top of the bed and Sora began to tell them everything.

From the time he spent exploring the ocean, to being found by Aqua, Terra, and Ven. He told them about those three, how kind and understanding they were. He showed them the necklace Aqua made for him and told them what it meant. There was one thing he purposely forgot to mention to Riku but he told Roxas, Naminé and Kairi: the little incident with Vanitas in the forest clearing.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” Kairi asked after Sora finished telling it.

Sora shrugged. “I didn’t want to worry him. It really wasn’t a big deal. I managed to get away and found Ven in the end.”

“You should’ve said something.” Roxas said.

“It’s not like I was advertising to the town I was mated.” Sora said. He leaned against Naminé, wrapping his arms around her lithe waist as he rested his head on her shoulder. “So don’t tell Riku. Nothing really happened.” Kairi and Naminé nodded. If Sora said not to worry, then they wouldn’t worry.

He was, after all, a merman who wasn’t weary of sharks and giant squids. Roxas grumbled but he nodded.

“You should still--” Roxas’s sentence was cut off as a pillow hit him square on the face, knocking him backwards and off the bed. He landed with a muted but heavy thud on the carpet floor. Kairi giggled as Roxas climbed back on the bed, glaring at the brunet who wore a fox’s grin.

“Fine, I get it.” Roxas mumbled, rubbing his sore nose. “Not a word.”

“Good,” Sora said. “Now, what happened over here? Is this really my house?”

Kairi nodded as she poked Sora’s side. “It looks like all those gems you collected were really valuable. You’re apparently set for life with the amount of currency you got for those gems.” Sora straightened up, curiously looking at the red-head. “So Riku used a bit of it to buy this house. Naminé and I also went shopping for furniture and other stuff.”

“I see.” And Sora couldn’t help but smile. “We’re going to live together.”

“So will Axel and I.” Roxas said.

“Really?”

Roxas nodded. “I am still a Guardian. And you’re still a Pincoy. Besides, I think old man Ansem would have a piece of mind if he knew I would be with you along with Leon.”

“The king said that?”

“Yeah,” Naminé said. “We’ll have to go back tomorrow to prepare for an assembly and discuss your future. And I know he’s been anxious to see if you’ve been well.”

“Then, let’s gets some sleep!” Kairi said. Sora nodded and he leaned forward, pulling Roxas towards him. Kairi and Naminé pulled down the comforter as they covered the soft quilt over their bodies. Kairi and Naminé stayed side-by-side with Sora in-between them. Sora smiled and he noticed Roxas looking at them.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me? You three usually sleep together.” Roxas said. Sora propped himself up on his elbows and he grabbed Roxas’s hand. He pulled the blond down behind Naminé. Naminé smiled as she dragged Roxas’s arm over her waist.

“It’s good to sleep together like this.” She said. Roxas settled down beside Naminé, not arguing with that logic. Sora smiled as he closed his eyes and felt the warmth of Kairi and Naminé beside him. A body pillow couldn’t even compete to being surrounded by the people he cared about the most.

Soon afterwards, their breathing slowed down and the four friends were lulled into sleep by the warmth of each other.

Hours later, Sora eyes unwilling slowly opened. He yawned and stared at the ceiling for a few slow minutes. He rubbed his eyes and leisurely sat upright. He felt Kairi and Naminé’s arm slid down his chest, resting on his lap.

He carefully moved them off and crawled underneath the comforter, careful as to not pull it off their bodies. He slid off the bed and stood up at the foot of it. He quietly walked to the door and slowly opened the door and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Sora looked down the hallway and he walked towards his right. There was a window at the end of the hallway. Sora walked up to it and the window had a beautiful view of the ocean. The sky was still dark but he could tell the morning sun would soon rise in another hour or so. He turned back and noticed a door slightly ajar.

It was another bare room with only a large bed with a deep, rich blue comforter. On top of that bed was Riku, his mate. Sora smiled as he made his way towards the bed.

He climbed on top of the bed and he sat near his mate. Riku’s hair was splayed around his head, his bangs swept away from his face. He could see the tiniest of a wrinkle in-between Riku’s eyebrow. His eyes traveled further down, from the lips Sora liked to kiss to the neck he liked to mark.

A small smile appeared on Sora’s lips as he pressed his hand against his own neck. It was definitely Riku’s favorite place to claim and mark. His eyes trailed further down, to Riku’s collarbone, his second place to mark, and even further down until the shirt his mate wore exposed a teasing amount navel.

Sora didn’t want to wake him up, it seemed riding in the car wasn’t the best place to sleep, so he crawled underneath the comforter and settled beside Riku.

Almost instinctively, Sora felt Riku wrap an arm his waist. Sora looked up at his mate, noting that he was still sleeping, but that tiny furrow between his brows was gone. Sora smiled gently and closed his eyes as he focused on the warmth that came from his mate.

\------

Two hours later, Sora woke up again but he was alone.

He yawned, stretching his arms above his head, looking around the bare room until he heard the sound of running water. It was coming from a door slightly ajar to his left. Sora yawned again and lazily climbed out of bed as he shuffled towards the door. He peeked in and saw Riku standing in front of the bath sink, brushing his teeth. Sora walked in and sat on the toilet, resting his head on the sink.

“Good…morning…Riku.” Sora mumbled.

“Mornin’” Riku uttered with a mouth full of toothpaste. Sora grabbed an extra toothbrush and started to brush his teeth as well.

The morning sun illuminated the spacious bathroom, streams of sunlight bouncing off white marble. Sora looked around the bathroom after he’d brushed his teeth. Like the rest of the rooms, the bathroom was bare of any decoration though he did see a few boxes piled together in the corner.

Kairi did mention last night that they had gone shopping for the house. Sora walked out of the bathroom, back into the bedroom and he sprawled himself back onto the bed. Riku walked out a second later and he sat back down on the bed. Sora rolled over to Riku’s side, sitting down snugly between Riku’s legs. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora’s waist; his fingers tracing a light circle around a tan navel.

“So everything is settled?” Riku whispered. Sora nodded.

“I’m a Pincoy by title now. Strictly speaking about magic, I’m probably more human than merman.”

Sora placed his hands over Riku’s. “No more surprises?” Riku asked.

Sora shook his head. “Nothing else.”

“Leon mentioned you had to go back to the Kingdom.” Riku said.

“There are just a few matters to take care of but I’ll be coming back.” Sora said. He grabbed Riku’s hands, intertwining his fingers with Riku’s. He turned around in Riku’s arm, straddling his mate as he draped his arms around Riku’s shoulder.

Sora stared into eyes that resembled the clarity of crystal clear ocean waves. Without breaking his gaze, Sora felt Riku slide his hands down his sides. Sora delightfully shivered, breaking the gaze. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply because, somehow, the fact that they could now live together peacefully still hadn’t fully set into his mind.

Sora could feel Riku’s hands rest on his waist, massaging his hips. He opened his eyes, blushing lightly when he realized Riku had been staring at him while he had his eyes closed.

“What’re you thinking about?” He asked.

“Us,” Sora said. “I’m excited, nervous, and my heart is beating like crazy. I was prepared to never see Kairi and Naminé as well as Leon, Wakka and Cid. I spent a better part of last year thinking that I had to cut my ties with the ocean. I’ve said my goodbyes to the ocean and avoided it. But I’m lucky. I get to stay with you, my mate, and with my family and the ocean too.”

“You were worried.” Riku said. Sora nodded and he leaned forward, resting his head against Riku’s shoulder.

“I never thought I would ever willingly give up my Pincoy voice but I would gladly give it up again if I had to choose between you and the Pincoy’s voice.” Sora whispered.

Riku tilted Sora’s head up, staring into dark ocean blue eyes. Sora shivered, waiting to hear Riku’s voice, for a response. Riku softly pressed his lips against Sora’s. Sora felt a slow shiver crawl up his spine. Riku kissed him sensually, slowly, not rushing into it.

Sora tangled his fingers into Riku’s hair, pressing his body against Riku’s. Sora pulled away, his breathing shallow. He could feel the heat on his face, the tips of his ears burning.

“Leon always made sure I never became spoiled when he became my Guardian,” Sora said. “And I know seeking you out was really selfish but you became my mate; you _are_ my mate.”

“You’re talking too much.” Riku said before he leaned in and kissed Sora’s collarbone. Sora blinked and he grabbed Riku’s head, pulling it back.

“Well, excuse me for trying to tell you how I feel!” He frowned and got off of Riku, standing as he turned his back and refused to look at him. Riku chuckled, crawling over to his backpack, kneeling over the bed as he searched for an item.

When he found the small tube, he sat back down. Sora glanced at him then looked away, still pretending to be offended. Riku smirked as he pulled off his shirt, quickly catching Sora’s attention. And Sora’s eyes immediately full upon the Pincoy mark around Riku’s navel.

Sora placed his hand over his own stomach; the original mark on his body. He walked back to Riku and kneeled in front of him, running his fingers over Riku’s stomach.

“Gifted love child of the gentle sea.” Sora read with a soft smile.

“This should be enough.” Riku said, sliding his hand over his stomach. Sora smiled. It was enough.

 “I love you, Riku.” Sora said. He reached up, pulling Riku’s head down for a gentle kiss.

With a seductive smile, he kneeled back down, resting his arms around Riku’s hips. He pulled his arms back, his fingertips grazing sinewy muscle under his flesh. Riku had a physique that Sora loved. A lean and muscled body, strong sinewy muscle underneath soft pale skin; sharp contours and strong arms able to lift him.

He started to unbuckle Riku’s pants, pulling the belt through the belt hoops, tossing it aside. Sora unbuttoned the shorts, tugging it off. He stared at Riku’s half-erect cock. Licking his lips, he ran his fingers through the tuft of silver hair, wrapping his fingers around the base. He flicked his tongue against the tip of Riku’s cock.

He could feel it growing harder in his hand and he could feel his own cock get erect. He looked up at Riku and, without warning, pushed him back. He straddled Riku’s hips, wrapping his hand around Riku’s erection.

“One of us is severely overdressed.” Riku said. Sora looked down at himself, realizing he still had his shorts on.

“Why not take it off for me?” suggested Sora. Riku arched an eyebrow, a sly smirk shaping his lips. Riku propped himself upright, resting his arms around Sora’s slim waist.

“You asked for it.” Riku whispered. Those words made Sora shiver pleasantly.

Sora wrapped his arms around Riku’s shoulder as he lifted his hips but Riku only pulled his shorts halfway down. Sora started to whine but it turned into a soft moan as he felt a hot mouth enclosed his left nipple. Riku’s tongue swirled around the hardening nub of flesh. Soft shivers tangled up his spine as he felt Riku flick and tease his other nipple.

“We’re going to do this slowly.” Riku murmured against Sora’s chest.

He trailed his hands down Sora’s side, feeling the soft but toned contours of Sora’s body. Sora wasn’t visibly muscular as Riku but he could feel it underneath his fingers tips: lean muscles defined by God know how much he swam in the ocean. Not even the scar across Sora’s chest could deter from his lithely lean physique.

Riku could feel Sora’s heartbeat against his chest; the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Riku grazed his teeth against Sora’s nipple, pleased with the hitch in Sora’s breathing. Riku kept his hands on Sora’s thighs; his finger inching closer to Sora’s twitching cock.

He looked up, keeping their eyes locked as he slid his finger against the tip of Sora’s erection, smearing the precum down the shaft. He could see the blush deepen on Sora’s cheeks but he never looked away, the space between them burning sweetly. With a tug on the shorts, Sora lifted one of his legs then the other as Riku tossed away the offending shorts. Sora settled back down on Riku’s lap, curling an arm around his mate’s neck. He used his other hand to pull back Riku’s hair away from his eyes.

“I guess I have been…aggressive these past few days.” Sora mumbled. Riku smirked, placing soft kisses along Sora’s chest.

“A beast is probably a better word.” Riku said. Sora chuckled and he pressed his forehead against Riku’s. He closed his eyes, breathing slowing as he felt Riku’s fingers rest at his hips.

“Sora, I love you.” Riku whispered. “You’re mine.”  Sora opened his eyes, staring into bright eyes resembling the strip of the Neon Tetra, like the ocean at its’ clearest. He grabbed the small tube beside Riku and unscrewed the cap. He poured a liberal amount in his hands and began stroking Riku’s cock.

The cool gel instantly warmed as he stroked it, spreading the gel well. He breathed deeply as he lifted his hips and steadily lowered himself. He could the head of Riku’s cock penetrate him and he gripped Riku’s shoulder. The pain was a lot more than usual without the preparation but it wasn’t anything Sora couldn’t handle. He lowered himself Riku’s erection was completely in him.

“And you are mine.” Sora whispered back. He pressed his lips against Riku’s, breathing the same air his mate was breathing. He closed his eyes as he listened to his heartbeat.

His fluttering heart rapidly beat against his chest. Nothing else was going to disturb them. The corners of his lips turned into a smile and he kissed his mate harder.

Two sets of eyes blinked and Kairi closed the door the rest of the way.

Naminé and Kairi sat back on the floor, leaning against the wall opposite of the door. They’ve been spying on those two for the past twenty minutes. Kairi rolled her shoulders, stretching out her arms. It wasn’t comfortable crouching in the same position for a long while but they couldn’t very well have the door completely open in an obvious way.

Kairi nudged it open enough so they could peak through with one eye, and Naminé had leaned over Kairi so they wouldn’t have to constantly switch places and miss the action.

“I have to admit…Sora looked beautiful.”

Naminé nodded in agreement. “He really did.”

“What should we do?” Kairi asked, looking at the blonde.

“Let’s give them an hour. Leon won’t be happy but they’re mating. We shouldn’t interrupt them.”

“As opposed to spying on them,” Roxas said, walking around the corner. Naminé and Kairi both grinned, neither grin apologetic. Kairi smirked as she stood up, walking over to him.

“I’ve seen you and Axel mate too,” She said. Roxas blushed and he gaped like a fish as he stared at the red-head. “You looked beautiful too.”

“When did you see?!” Roxas yelled, backing away. Kairi giggled and she walked off. “Hey!” Roxas went after her. Naminé smiled as she stood up, following them.

“Last weekend.” Naminé answered. Roxas turned around, a shocked face staring at the Sirena as she continued to walk past Roxas. “And I have to agree with Kairi. I think it’s lovely the two of you look sensual with your loved ones.”

“Something like that is supposes to be private!” Roxas yelled at them.

“To humans perhaps but not to us mermaids.” Kairi said. They turned the corner, taking the staircase to the first floor. “Roxy is just shy he was seen.”

“We have to abide by the social norms of humans.” Roxas said. Kairi skipped down, jumping off the second to last step to the floor. She twirled around and pointed at Roxas.

“Correction: you and Sora will have to abide by those rules, which I highly doubt Sora will be able to manage. You know how he is, don’t you? The only thing he’ll probably adjust to the slightest is that thing with clothes. And I really doubt you’re gonna abide by human norms so shush!” Kairi said.

Naminé giggled as she walked past a rather surprised Roxas. Roxas sighed, scratching his head as he walked into the living room. Admittedly, Kairi did have a point. He rushed over to Kairi, sitting beside her on the couch.

“So…how was I?” He hesitantly asked. Kairi grinned as she started whispering to him. Naminé smiled and she walked through the living room, heading towards the hallway as she searched from Leon. She didn’t have to look far as she saw him in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Leon.” She greeted, sitting down at a stool by the counter island in the middle of the kitchen.

Leon nodded, “Where’s Sora?”

“He’s mating with Riku.” To which Leon responded with the slightest furrow between his brows.

“We’ll give them an hour then.” Leon said. Naminé nodded and she tapped her fingers against the smooth counter.

“You know, Sora mentioned something last night when we were talking. Kairi and Roxas were fast asleep so they didn’t hear.” Naminé said. “He wants you to be happy as well.”

“I already am.” Leon replied.

“Sora sees right through you.” Naminé said. Leon sighed as he leaned against the counter. She was another one who could easily see through his barrier. “He wants to try and get you to talk to Cloud again.”

Leon went rigid. He couldn’t possibly see how Sora would think _that_ would make him happy. He remained quiet as he stared out the kitchen window. Besides the little encounters that could barely count as conversations, Leon and the former Pincoy, Cloud, hadn’t spoken in nearly sixteen years.

“That won’t be possible.” Leon said. Naminé nodded, agreeing with the scowling Guardian.

“Sora knows you two wouldn’t have that same relationship you used to have but he at least wants to get the two of you on speaking terms.” She said. She stood up and walked over to Leon. “It wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“Yes it will,” said Leon. But he couldn’t stop the small smile from softening his features. “You two need better hobbies.” Naminé grinned as walked back to the kitchen counter and sat back down on a stool.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She said innocently enough.

“AXEL!” Roxas’s angry yell rang through the kitchen. There was a large crash, something was thrown to the floor, and they could hear heavy footsteps as Roxas chased after his mate, for whatever reason that got Roxas heated. A moment later, Kairi walked into the kitchen, a wide grin on her lips.

“What did you do?” Naminé asked.

“I’m completely innocent this time. We were talking about mating, y’know, between Roxy and his mate, and Axel was eavesdropping on the conversation. He went completely shy and started chasing after Axel for eavesdropping.” Kairi said. She hoisted herself up on the counter beside Leon.

“Maybe he didn’t want Axel to overhear.” Naminé said. “But it looks like he doesn’t care too much.” The sound of chasing had stopped awhile ago. It was actually too quiet. Until they heard a rather breathy moan waft into the kitchen.

The girls giggled as Leon merely shook his head.

“He just likes putting on a front.” Naminé said.

“He’s such a tease,” Kairi said. “It’s a good thing Axel’s aggressive.”  She snickered as she happily skipped towards the leaving room. Not a second later they heard one loud yell:

“KAIRI!!” There was another crash, followed by the sound of a door being slammed opened, presumably the front door, as they heard the slowly fading laughter of Kairi.

“This is nice.” Naminé said with a soft smile. “Don’t you think so?”

Leon stared out the kitchen again. The sun was already on its climb, setting the surface of the ocean ablaze with reflected sunlight. Somehow, even with his distrust towards humans, he was at least happy for Sora. Spending nearly six months with Riku made him have a different opinion of him.

At least Sora wasn’t driven away from the Kingdom. A rarely seen smile appeared on his otherwise stoic face.

“It’s not bad.”

\------  
A Year Later  
\------

Sora weaved through the columns of the palace, his necklace bouncing against his chest. He pumped his tail harder and sharply turned the corner that lead to the nursery. The guards couldn’t even greet the rushing Pincoy without the likelihood of being bulldozed over by the brunet.

Sora made another turn and collided into the broad chest of Cid. Sora yelped in pain, getting knocked down to the sandy ground. He groaned and straightened up.

“What’s the rush?” Cid asked.

“Cid!” Sora said. “Didn’t you see them?”

“Yep,” said Cid. “And I look forward to training the little tyke. If he inherited any of his father’s skills, he’ll be one hell of a student.”

“Is that all you’re thinking about?” Sora asked. Cid laughed heartily as he ruffled up his hair.

“Kairi said the same thing.” He chuckled and he began swimming away. “Kairi was asking for you. You better get going.”

Sora nodded and rushed off, this time at a slower pace. He turned the last corner and he could hear the soft mumble of talk. He slowed down as the nannies greeted him.

“You’re here to see the twins, Pincoy?”

Sora nodded. “How’s Kairi?” He asked.

“Exhausted but alright. Delivering twins was tough on the Pincoya’s body but she’s definitely had time to recover now that it’s been a week,” the head nanny said. “The Sirena is with her as well.”

Sora nodded again and he swam off. Up ahead, he could see the cavern where Kairi was most likely at. He slowly swam in, peeking around the corner until he saw Kairi resting on the bed. Her face lit up as Sora entered. He returned the smile as he swam towards her.

“Sora! You’re here!” Sora rushed towards her and hugged his friend.

“Where are they?” He asked, looking around. Kairi giggled as a small head with inky black hair popped up behind Kairi’s back. She looked like her mother. The small week-old newborn mermaid stared at Sora with inquiring blue eyes. Kairi reached behind her and grabbed her child, holding her in her arms.

“Xion, meet Sora.” Xion stared at Sora and she wriggled out of her mother’s arms as she swam closer to Sora. Sora smiled as Xion reached one tiny hand out, touching the tip of Sora’s nose.

“Welcome, Xion.” He said. Xion giggled and darted away, hiding behind Kairi’s back.

“She’s rather shy.” Sora said. “I’m surprised.”

“And what exactly are you implying?” teased Kairi. Xion swam around her mother’s torso, settling down on her lap.

“Nothing at all.” Sora quickly said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Where’s the other one?”

“Over here!”

Sora turned his head towards the entrance. Naminé was swimming in and in her hand was the tiny hand of Kairi’s other week-old newborn child. Naminé lead the boy in and he instantly swam towards his mother. The boy took after Saïx; his hair and facial features except for his ears and eyes. Isa didn’t inherit his father’s pointed ears. Sora’s eyes shifted to the boy’s navel, taking in the Pincoy mark.

“Isa,” Kairi softly said. Isa stared at his mother. “Meet Sora.” She pointed towards the brunet.

Sea-green eyes stared at Sora. Isa slowly swam towards Sora and he pressed a hand against the former Pincoy’s cheek. A barrage of pleasant colors flashed through Sora’s mind; warm colors of red and yellow. Sora smiled and pulled the tiny hand away.

“Y’know, Cid’s hoping he turns out like Saïx.”

“The big brute.” Kairi huffed. Isa swam towards his mother and settled down beside his sister.

“At least it means he’s hoping Isa turns out strong.” Naminé said, sitting down beside Kairi on the other side of the bed.

“Well, it’s still too early to know.” Kairi said. Xion yawned, resting her head against Kairi’s arms.

“Human babies are so different.” Sora said as he looked at Kairi’s babies. “I saw one the other day with its mother when Riku and I were in the park. Riku said it was only a few months old but it couldn’t walk or crawl by itself. And it takes about two year for them to look like this.”

“Really?” asked Kairi. Sora nodded.

“And they looked…squishy?” Sora said.

“Human newborns are completely dependent on their parents,” Naminé said. “I think it’s something to do with their environment. They don’t have to worry about out swimming sharks, after all.”

“I’ll like to see a shark try and eat my babies.” Kairi muttered, holding on to her children. “Oh, before you get going, what does it say around Isa’s navel?” She gently grabbed Xion and handed her to Naminé.

Isa watched as his sleeping sister was held by Naminé. He began swimming away only to be caught be his mother. “You’re not getting away, little one.”

Sora chuckled as Isa squirmed in her mother’s hands. He settled down when a few black and white striped Butterfly fish swam around the young Pincoy. Sora leaned in and read the ancient text around the heart-shaped mark.

“ _Lunar child of the commanding sea_.” spoke Sora. Isa’s ears perked up and he stared at Sora.

“We all don’t speak the ancient language.” Kairi said as she rested Isa against her chest.

“Lunar child of the commanding sea.” repeated Sora. Kairi hummed pleasantly as she turned Isa around. She rubbed her nose against Isa’s, his quiet laughter ringing in her ears.

“The sea must love you, Isa.” She said.

“I think it’s time I get going.” Sora said. “I need to be at the house to wait for them.”

“You mean the Roxy look-a-like? He’s coming today?” Kairi asked. Sora nodded. The redhead sighed, a look of disappointment crossing her face. “Damn, I wanted to see it for myself.”

“You’re a mother now.” Naminé said. “You can’t leave them just yet.”

“I know.” Kairi said. “Well, I’ll see him when I see him. I have my two babies to keep me busy for awhile.” Isa squirmed out of Kairi’s grasp as he swam towards Sora. Sora smiled and reached his hands out.

“ _Welcome to the ocean, Isa_.” Sora said. He held Isa in his arms and swam over to Kairi, handing him back to her. “And you too, Xion.” He said to the sleeping girl.

“I’ll be calling for you as a sitter for Isa, just to let you know.” Kairi said. Sora chuckled, nodding his head.

“I figured.” He said. “Alright, I’ll see you later.”

“Tell Riku we said hi.” Naminé called out. Sora nodded as he swam out the nursery. He spotted Saïx down the hallway and swam towards the stoic-faced merman.

“Congratulation, Saïx!”

“Thank you,” replied Saïx. “Undoubtedly, you must know now that my son is a Pincoy. What should I except?” He asked the former Pincoy.

Sora hummed in thought, not quite sure where to begin. He couldn’t very well tell Saïx to expect everything he’d experience when he was younger. He looked at Saïx and could see just the tiniest glimpse of concern in those golden eyes. A soft smile graced his lips as he stared at Kairi’s mate.

“You don’t have to worry. The ocean will guide him, especially in the first few years,” Sora said.

He could see the slight confusion in Saïx’s expression and he didn’t expect him to fully understand. He could clearly remember the gentle guiding whispers of the ancient language from the ocean when he was younger. Almost like a surrogate mother teaching her child to walk.

If he talked to Cloud, Sora was sure he would understand, and he knew Isa will understand when he becomes older. “He’ll be fine, Saïx. After all, I’ll be here, something I didn’t have.”

“You’re telling that to the wrong person.” Saïx said.

Sora grinned, “I already complained enough to make Leon’s ear fall off. Besides, I won’t have to hide my existence from Isa so I’ll be a mentor for him.”

“That worries me,” said Saïx. “Let’s hope he isn’t as bad as you, Pincoy.”

“Your sarcasm isn’t welcomed, y’know.” Sora said, pouting as he crossed his arms over his chest. Then a mischievous grin shaped his lips as he leered at Saïx. “Though Kairi _is_ his mother.”

And that thought made Saïx hope Isa had more of his personality than his mother’s.

“Weren’t you in a rush?” Saïx asked.

“Oh, that’s right. I need to get home. Bye, Saïx!” Sora rushed off with a hurried goodbye wave. Saïx continued on his way to the nursery when he heard a loud crash then a scream. He hurried to the nursery to see what made the commotion.

Kairi was out of bed, where she should still be resting, chasing after Isa. Naminé was smiling, cradling a now-awake and calm Xion as they watched the chase. Isa, very much enjoying the chase, kept eluding his mother’s grasp.

“Saïx!” Kairi yelled, chasing after him.

Saïx braced himself and caught his fleeing son in his arms. Kairi sighed contently as she caught up to Isa in his father’s arms. “He’s a feisty one.” She tickled her son’s stomach, making him giggle and squirm in his arms. Naminé swam over to the couple and handed Xion over to Kairi.

“Here you go. I want to see if I can catch up to Sora.” She said.

“You want to see the Roxy look-a-like, too?” Kairi said with just the slightest of pouts.

“Curiosity did kill the cat.” She replied.

“Stop using human idioms,” Kairi responded. “That one didn’t make sense. Well, I have my babies here. You can tell me when you come back.”

“I always do.” Naminé said with a smile as she left. Kairi smiled and she started to brush away the long bangs covering Xion’s hair.

“You should still be resting.” Saïx said as he swam into the nursery with Isa.

“A week of rest is rest enough.” Kairi said, following her mate. “And Isa seems pretty eager to explore the rest of the palace. He’s been anxious to get out of this room, like me.”

Saïx had stopped in front of a pile of broken slates of stone. Kairi swam around him, glancing up at Saïx with a sheepish grin. He raised an eyebrow, needing no words to ask what happened to the shelf.

Kairi turned around to show the angry red scratches from colliding into the shelf when she was chasing Isa. Saïx sighed, not too surprised. He lifted Isa up and furrowed his brows; he was sure Isa had inherited his mother’s personality.

Kairi smiled and reached out to hold Isa in her arms with Xion. She swam close to Saïx and kissed his brow.

“That frowny look is going to be etched to your face if you’re not careful.” She teased.

“We should get your back healed.” Saïx said. Kairi nodded and untied the soft cloth covering her breasts.

“Hold on to Isa, okay.” She said as she handed Isa over. She let Xion float around her. Unlike her brother, she was much calmer. Saïx nodded and held a firm grip around his son. Kairi smiled as she stared at her beloved mate and son. She leaned in again, this time kissing Saïx on the lips, before she pulled away and turned around.

Saïx pressed his free hand against Kairi’s back and began healing her. Xion swam around them and Kairi reached out, cuddling her daughter against her chest.  She cooed happily as Kairi kissed the top of her head.

“I have nothing else to do for the day.” Saïx said, moving his hand further down to heal the lower scratches. Kairi glanced behind her, understanding what he meant.

“You hear that, Isa. You get to stretch your tail a bit more.” She said. Isa smiled carelessly and attempted to wriggle out of his father’s hold. Kairi giggled as she grabbed the floating cloth and tied it around her chest again. “Let’s get going.”

\------

As soon as Sora burst through the surface of the ocean, he made a quick beeline to the shore. When he felt the tip of his fin brush against the shallow sandy ground of the shore, Sora took off his necklace. He could feel the magic coil around his tail as it reverted back into legs.

He jogged to the place he left his shorts, tossed over a fallen tree. Sora quickly slipped them on, grabbed his shoes and began running up the hill. From the top of the hill, it was a quick ten minute jog as he passed rows of houses until he reached his own.

Hopefully, he wasn’t late and as he looked around Sora couldn’t see any car that didn’t belong. Sora stopped looking around and ran up to the porch, breathing heavily as he opened the front door. It wasn’t locked.

“Roxas?” Sora called out as he entered the foyer and closed the door behind him.

“What?” replied Roxas from somewhere in the house. It sounded like it came from the kitchen. Sora tossed his sneakers aside and jogged towards the kitchen. He could smell a sweet fragrance from the kitchen.

The island counter was clustered with empty boxes, open bags of sugar and frosting, and various amounts of empty bowls, and bowls of fresh mixed fruit and one filled with a sweet clear glaze. Roxas was at the sink, washing his hands. The sweet smell emanated from the oven.  Roxas turned the facet off, brushing away a lock of hair from his eyes as he turned around.

“What’re you making this time?” asked Sora as he kneeled in front of the oven.

“A fruit tart and a cake,” Roxas said. “Remember when we went to that bakery in Radiant Garden?”

“The one with all the different fruits on it?”

Roxas nodded, “That’s the fruit tart.” A wide grin appeared on Sora’s face. By far, out of all the baked good he tried, the fruit tart remained his number one favorite. Sora straightened up as he looked at his childhood friend.

“You do realize you’ll be making that every week from now on.” Sora said as he walked towards the cluttered counter. He could see the bowl full of the cream that filled the crust for the fruit tart. He grabbed a spoon and shoveled out a spoonful.

“Just so I can start rolling you places? I think not.” Roxas said, grabbing the spoon of sweet cream filling out of Sora’s hand. The brunet whined, searching for another spoon. Hell, he would’ve been happy for a ladle if he could just find one.

Roxas smirked as he walked over to Sora and handed him the spoon. Sora happily grinned, stuffing the spoon in his mouth before Roxas could snatch it away again. Roxas leaned in and squeezed a part of Sora’s stomach in-between his fingers. “I think I see your figure changing.”

“Dun’ even kid ‘bout dat!” Sora retorted through a mouthful of cream. He stepped away from a smirking Roxas as he looked down at his belly. Sora squeezed the tiny, _tiny_ , almost non-existent stomach flab he’d acquired over the year. He pulled the spoon from his mouth. “I swim daily!”

“Apparently not enough.” Roxas retorted, laughing. Sora growled and mumbled, poking at his stomach.

He quickly grabbed the can of whip cream from the counter in front of him. Before Roxas had time to react, or stop laughing, Sora blasted Roxas’s face with cool whip cream. The blond sputtered, much to the pleasure of Sora, as he swiped away a chunk of whipped cream from the side of his face.

“Dammit, Sora!” Roxas yelled. He took a menacing step forward and Sora took a step back. With a sly grin and his mischievous blue eyes trained on the blond, Sora shook the can.

“You were saying about my belly?” Sora asked. He dared the blond to say anything with the nozzle of the can aimed at his face.

“I’ll stuff you myself so I can roll you down that hill!” He yelled, going after Sora.

Sora yelped in surprise, tossing the can away as he could run. Roxas chased him through the hallway, Sora leading the way through the living room and foyer, heading into the other room that Axel had dubbed the Lounge room. Sora laughed loudly, quickly turning around to see how far ahead he was of Roxas.

In that quick second, Sora tripped over the rug. A muted thud resonating on the floor and before Sora had a chance to scramble to his feet, Roxas was upon him. Roxas quickly pinned Sora arm’s to his side and straddled the brunet underneath him. Then he slowly pulled his arm away from behind the back.

The smile on Sora’s face quickly faded. It was the can of whipped cream.

“Let’s not do anything rash, Roxy.” Sora cautiously said. Roxas grinned and slowly shook the can.

“Say ‘ahh’” Roxas sang as he aimed the nozzle at Sora’s face.

Sora shut his eyes as Roxas sprayed his entire face, ending with the curled top. He grinned and tossed the can away. He leaned back and admired his handy work. “I should’ve brought a cherry.”

Sora opened his mouth and sucked in the whip cream around his mouth. “Jerk.” Sora uttered before he vigorously shook his head, spreading the sweetened cream all over the floor. Roxas laughed and he got off of Sora, helping the brunet up. “I want two fruit tarts.”

“You really do want to roll down that hill, don’t you?” Roxas asked.

“Whatever,” Sora mumbled. “I _do_ swim so I’ll just swim twice as much later this week.”

“Don’t expect me to roll you to the beach.” Roxas said as he walked back to the kitchen. Sora sighed and he looked at the mess on the floor. Luckily, the rug wasn’t dirtied. But first he needed to clean his face. It was starting to get sticky.

He followed Roxas into the kitchen, heading to the sink. He turned the facet on and stuck his head underneath the running water. He pulled his head back, his mahogany hair dripping wet and his face whip cream free.

“You’ll be in the house then, right?” Sora asked.

“Yeah, why?” The blond replied.

“Riku’s class should be over soon. I think we’ll be back before Ven gets here.” Sora said.

Before Roxas could get another word out, Sora was heading towards the foyer. He snatched his shoes and ran out the front door only to collide into Wakka. Sora bounced back with a grunt, landing on his rear. He seemed to be colliding into a lot of people in one day. He heard a girl giggle and he shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up, noticing Naminé beside Wakka.

“You’re in a hurry.” She said, holding out her hand. Sora grinned and reached out, getting to his feet.

“I wanted to go get Riku.” He said.

“You mean your mate over there.” Wakka said, pointing towards the end of the block.

Sora looked towards the end of the block, and sure enough, there was Riku. Axel and Tidus were beside him. Riku ignored the two, as they were arguing over something he didn’t care about enough to join.

Sora smiled and walked back to the porch then sat down on a porch swing they installed. Naminé joined him and the loud voices of Axel and Tidus began to reach them.

“Told you it was too good to last,” Axel prodded; poking yet another hole in Tidus’s already wounded heart. “At least you got a good month with Selphie. It’s not your fault she prefers other girls. At least you look pretty like one.”

“You’re an ass.” Tidus mumbled, dragging his feet along the pavement.

“I prefer the term blunt.” Axel replied.

“You might want to give up on women.” Riku said.

“Never mind,” Tidus said to Axel. He glared at Riku. “ _You’re_ the ass.” Axel chuckled as he bounded up the steps of the porch. He looked over towards Sora and Naminé.

“Yo!” He greeted.

Tidus glanced over waved then looked away. He stopped, taking another look at the cute, blonde haired girl beside the brunet. Instantly he perked up and a savvy grin appeared on his lips. He straightened up and ran a hand through his hair as he swaggered towards Naminé.

Axel stopped, noticing Tidus making his way to Naminé. He grinned widely and leaned against the threshold of the front door. There was no way he would want to miss this little interaction.

“Hello, there,” He greeted with a smile. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet which is a damn shame. I’m Tidus.”

Naminé smiled as she looked at Tidus. Sora glanced at Wakka standing beside him and they both shared a knowing glance.

“I’m Naminé. It’s a pleasure to meet you Tidus but I must inform you that I’m not allowed to date another species.” There was complete and utter silence as Tidus just blinked, jaw slacked and eyes wide; until the bellowing laughter of Axel broke the silence. He staggered towards Tidus, clutching his side as he looped one arm around the poor boy’s shoulder.

“Shot down…even before…you had a chance! Ahaha!” He leaned away, resting against the wall as he doubled over, wheezing with laughter. “Oh god…so damn…pathetic.” Tidus blushed ferociously and he stormed off into the house.

“Go fuck yourself, you tall bastard!” Tidus yelled.

“How ‘bout I go find someone who’ll do that with you!” Axel yelled in response, clearly amused. He stood up and headed into the house. “Because it seems you’ll be _receiving_ tail rather than getting any.” Riku shook his head, tossing his messenger bag aside as he walked over to the porch swing.

“That was rather amusing.” He said, leaning against the wooden rail opposite the swing.

“I have to be blunt in these types of situations.” Naminé said. “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. Tidus’s too much of an idiot to stay depressed for long.” Riku said. “He’ll bounce back.”

“That’s good,” Naminé said. “By the way, when will Ventus come?”

“Hmmm…he said by the afternoon.” Sora said. “I think it’s still early afternoon.” The window behind the porch swing rattled. Naminé and Sora turned to look as the curtains were drawn and the window was pulled up. Tidus leaned out, bracing his arms against the sill. His bright smile was plastered back on his lips as if he’d never received the most brutal rejection ever.

“One date,” Tidus asked. “That’s all I’m asking.”

“Give it up!” Axel called out from the lounge, sitting on the plush sofa in the lounge with a wireless game controller in his hands.

“Shut it!” Tidus called back; pulling his head back inside before he leaned back out the window again with a dazzling smile. Naminé giggled and stood up, heading towards the front door with Wakka silently following her.

“Flirting wouldn’t be so bad.” She whispered to Wakka who only shook his head.

Sora chuckled as Tidus pulled his head back in. Sora kneeled on the swinging seat, pulling the window down to block out the sound of firing guns and the screams of zombies dying again. Riku sighed and sat down on the swing, leaning his head back.

“This wasn’t what I was expecting when I brought this house.”

“You don’t like this?” Sora asked, scooting closer to Riku.

“The house I like.” Riku clarified. “The pests called Tidus and Demyx that invade my house every day I don’t.”

“I think it makes the house livelier.” Sora said, looking behind him. Tidus was standing, pointing an accusing finger at the redhead who merely laughed. “The palace will get livelier with Kairi’s kids.”

“You got to see them?” Riku asked. Sora nodded and he rested his head against Riku’s shoulder. He used his feet to gently rock the swing back and forth.

“Fraternal twins: Isa and Xion. Xion looks like Kairi, her eyes are a darker blue and her hair is black but she has Kairi’s face. And Isa is like a tiny copy of Saïx without the crossed scars across the bridge of his nose. But they have each other’s personality. I can tell Xion’s more like her father and Isa’s a lot like Kairi. And Isa…he’s a Pincoy.”

Sora hummed peacefully as closed his eyes. He could feel Riku’s cool finger brush against his neck, drawing loose smoothing circles near his collarbone.

“I wonder how Leon’s doing.” Sora said, more to himself than Riku.

“Where is he?” Riku asked.

“Talking to Cloud…hopefully,” Sora said. He snuggled closer against Riku, picking up his legs and tucking them underneath him. “He finally promised me he would talk to Cloud today.”

“Why are you so hell bent on making them talk?” Riku asked. Sora opened his eyes and he held Riku’s hands.

He wasn’t _exceptionally_ hell bent on making them talk and become instant friends. Sora knew that wouldn’t happen in a year or if it would even happen at all. He wanted to have them reconcile at the least, for Leon’s sake. And as much as he had tried to explain a relationship between a Guardian and their charge to Riku, he really couldn’t explain it well; especially not with Leon and Cloud’s case.

It didn’t stop him from trying though.

“Take, for example, Isa and Xion,” Sora said. “Xion and Isa will get their own Guardians. Like Kairi and Naminé, Xion will most likely have one Guardian. Whoever it is will become Xion’s most important person. And she’ll have that person by her side when she turns one year of age. The same will happen with Isa. From that point, they build an inseparable bond. Like with Cloud and Zexion, Naminé and Cid, Wakka and Kairi, and Leon and I.”

“What about Cloud and Leon?” Riku asked.

“He was assigned to Cloud as a Guardian-in-Training, much like how Roxas was when he was assigned my second Guardian. But there’s a difference. Roxas and I were already inseparable because he’s my friend. Leon told me he was friends with Cloud but they weren’t close.”

“Hmmm…all I see is drama.” Riku said. Sora pretended to get offended. He pulled away only to have Riku pull him back, shuffling Sora over to his lap.

“You’re not trying to understand, are you?” Sora asked, eyeing Riku.

“I had a human anatomy exam today.” Riku said. “I’m surprised my brain hasn’t oozed out my ears at this point.” Sora smiled and quickly kissed his mate.

“Either way, I just hope they reconciled, if only a little bit.” Sora said.

“Here’s your chance to ask him.” Riku said as he pointed towards the sidewalk. Sora looked and there was Leon, walking towards the house. Sora quickly jumped off Riku’s lap and jumped over the porch rail. He landed on the balls of his feet and hands, quickly sprinting across the lawn towards Leon.

Riku chuckled, remembering the clumsy way Sora used to run. Living on land certainly improved his running abilities.

“Leon!” Sora called out, skidding to a stop. He almost slipped on the grass, in front of Leon, but quickly regained his composure. He anxiously looked at Leon, searching his eyes for any sort of hint as to how the meeting went with Cloud.

“It went well,” Leon said. And Sora stared into Leon’s blue eyes. It was easy to pick up on the subtle change of Leon’s expression. At least for Sora it was.

He remembered the slight tension in Leon’s usually rigged stance, more so than usual. But now, he was different. Sora could see he was much more relaxed and his eyes held a lighter gleam to them. Leon glanced at Sora, who was still examining him with those wide eyes of his. He chuckled and began walking towards the house.

“He called me Squall again.” And that was all Leon needed to say to reassure Sora. The brunet smiled as he jogged ahead of his Guardian, taking the steps and settling back down beside Riku on the porch swing.

“So all is well that ends well?” Riku asked.

“Yep.” There was a loud bang from inside and Sora turned around, leaning against the back of the swing as he looked inside through the window. Their voices were muffled but he could hear an explicit stream of curses from Tidus as Axel had the small blond pinned underneath him. Naminé glanced over at the window and smiled, sitting up as she walked over and opened the window.

“Dammit! The hell is wrong with you?!”

“It’s penalty for not shooting the zombies in time!” Axel said, grinning.

“Roxas said he finished making the fruit tart.” Naminé said. Sora grinned and, as if on cue, his stomach growled loudly enough for Riku and Naminé to hear. Sora blushed, crossing his arms over his bare stomach.

“Time to eat!” Sora gleefully shouted. He hopped of the swing then stopped when he saw a familiar car slowly park in front of their house. Sora stopped in his tracks, leaning against the rail of the porch as he saw the passenger door open. He grinned widely as Ven stepped out, waving madly at the brunet.

“Sora!” He shouted.

“Ven!” Sora shouted back. His plans to eat and fill his growling stomach left his mind as he rushed over to Ven. He had guests to entertain.

\------

Sora had shown Ven the room he was going to stay the minute they stepped into the house before he dragged Ven and Terra around the house and beach. By the time it was midnight, Riku had kicked out his unwanted guest; Tidus.

Naminé and Wakka left long before midnight. Sora and Ven were collapsed in the lounge, utterly exhausted and a sleepy. Sora yawned as he straightened up. Terra walked into the room, chuckling at the sight of the two friends.

“I’m surprised the two of you didn’t collapse sooner.” He said, walking towards Ven.

“There was so much to see.” Ven said, suppressing a yawn.

“Yeah, yeah,” Terra said. He helped Ven to his feet and wrapped an arm around the blonds’ waist. “We have to wake up early to register you into the college.” Ven nodded lazily, leaning against Terra’s body.

“Sora, well hang out tomorrow too, right?” Ven asked.

“Of course,” Sora said with a smile. Ven nodded and Terra began taking Ven into the foyer and towards the stairs. “G’night.”

“Good night, Sora.” Terra said.

“Good night!”

Sora hauled himself to his feet and shuffled into the hallway. He walked towards the living room and ended up in the foyer. He scratched his head, wondering why he went through the living room when he could’ve gotten into the foyer from the lounge. He was more tired than he realized. He looked around and walked towards the front door. He opened the door and looked out.

The lights in the house across the street were turned off. The moon illuminated the streets, providing soft moon light. Stars twinkled amongst the dark sky. Sora leaned against the threshold, a smile playing with his lips. He heard a shuffled behind him and felt familiar arms wrap around his waist. Sora closed his eyes and he leaned his head back.

“I’m sleepy.” Sora said.

“I can tell,” Riku whispered. “You’ve had a busy day.” Sora nodded and he turned his face towards Riku’s neck. He breathed in deeply, his chest slowly rising and falling. A creak to their right caught the couple’s attention. Sora turned to look and saw Axel and Roxas walking towards them.

“You’re practically falling asleep on your feet.” Roxas said.

“Riku will hold me up.” Sora said.

“Did that Ven kid go to his room?” Axel said. Sora nodded then yawned.

“If it weren’t for their personality, he and Roxy would practically be twins.” Axel said. Roxas looked back at Axel, an eyebrow raised.

“What’re you implying?” He said. The look in Roxas’s eyes told Axel to be _very_ careful of his answer. Of course, Axel wasn’t going to take the warning. He grinned as he draped an arm around Roxas’s shoulder.

“Maybe we could try something _fun_ with Ven.” suggested Axel. Roxas quickly dealt a swift jab to Axel’s gut and he stormed off into the house and upstairs. Riku shook his head and they heard a door slam shut.

“Maybe that was bit too much.” Sora said. Axel rubbed his sore stomach, agreeing with him.

“You’re probably right. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” Axel said as he jogged past them and upstairs to make amends.

“I don’t see what Roxas sees in him.” Riku said.

“And Leon doesn’t see what I see in you.” Sora said.

“Got it,” Riku said. “To each their own, right?” Sora nodded.

He yawned again and turned around, leaning against Riku’s body. He kept his arms around Riku’s waist as he felt Riku lead him inside. With the doors closed and all the lights turned off on the first floor, Riku guided Sora upstairs. They headed towards the right, passing a slightly ajar door and they could hear the subtle moans of Roxas.

Sora chuckled as he leaned over and softly closed the door for them. They took the last door on their left and Sora was never happier to see his bed than he was at that moment. He sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for Riku, despite the fact he wanted to crawl underneath the comforter.

With the curtains drawn open on the windows, the moonlight streamed into the room, casting a soft glow in the room. Sora watched Riku pull off his shirt, tossing it over a chair at Riku’s desk. Then he pulled off his pants, standing in nothing but his boxers. Sora grinned and whistled at Riku.

“You’ve been hanging around Axel too much.” Riku said, although not at all displeased at the whistle. Sora grinned and he shuffled back on the bed, crawling underneath the comforter.

“Have not,” Sora replied. “Riku, we should light fireworks at the beach tomorrow night.” As soon as Riku laid down, Sora was by his side, snuggling against Riku’s warm body.

“For what?” Riku asked.

“They’re pretty to look at.” Sora said, earning a chuckle from Riku. “And ‘cause Ven’s here. There are a lot of things I want to show him, y’know, as thanks.”

“That’s a simple reason.” Riku said.

“Well, I’m a simple merman. But don’t tell Kairi,” Sora quickly added. “She’ll relentlessly tease me.”

“And I won’t?” Riku inquired. Sora wrinkled his nose at Riku and stuck his tongue out. He turned on his side, facing away from Riku. He heard his mate chuckle and felt Riku’s arms wrap around his waist, spooning Sora’s lithe body against his. Sora rested his hands over Riku’s and took a deep calming breath. “I have a question.”

“What?” Sora answered.

“Kairi’s son, Isa, is going to know about your existence as the former Pincoy?”

“He will,” Sora said. “The reason I wasn’t told about Cloud was because Leon asked the King to forbid anyone from telling me about him. In a way, I can understand why but now there is no reason to do that.”

“And who will become his Guardian?”

“It won’t be me if that’s what you’re thinking.” Sora answered, glancing at Riku from the corner of his eyes. “It’s a full time occupation. I don’t have the skills and my magic is now almost gone. What I can be is a mentor. I still can speak the ancient language the sea taught me if only that. But, I did hear from Cid when I was leaving that palace, that he was training a talented young merman, Xemnas. He’s going to have a lot of fun training him.”

“That’s a bad thing?”

Sora chuckled, “The way Cid was praising Xemnas; I can tell he’s going to go all out in the training.”

Sora turned back to his other side, facing Riku again. He closed his eyes and if he focused only on Riku’s scent; he could smell the ocean and warmth of the sun. He lifted his hand and pressed it against Riku’s cheek.

“Tomorrow night…fireworks…lots of them. And the sparkly one that are on the sticks.”

“You mean sparklers?” Riku supplied, trying to hold back a smile but failed. Sora chuckled and nodded. Sleep was starting to drag him under. But not enough to pull Riku’s head down to start giving him a soft, chaste kiss. “…it’s going to be two years soon.”

“Are you counting the years?” Riku asked, pulling Sora closer. Sora smiled and closed his eyes, enveloping himself in Riku’s warmth.  He slowly shook his head.

“I’m glad…for the years…days…” Sora rolled onto his back, placing his hands on his stomach. He absentmindedly ran his hand along the now thin scar running diagonally across his chest. Riku looked at it, remembering how fresh the scar used to look.

Sora yawned and Riku draped an arm around Sora’s waist. Sora turned his head towards Riku and kissed him again. Riku chuckled and he brushed away the bangs in front of Sora’s eyes.

“Alright, I understand. I love you too.” Riku whispered. Sora smiled with his eyes closed. Sleep was seconds away from lulling him away. But he still hadn’t said the most important thing he wanted to say. He was fighting to stay awake to say it.

“I…love the sparkly wands… Don’t forget…them.”

“I won’t.” Riku whispered.

He watched Sora vaguely nod and, finally, Sora was fast asleep. Riku quickly made a mental note of buying more packets of sparklers before he relaxed beside his sleeping lover and fell into a peaceful slumber.

\------  
Closure  
\------

> _Leon waited, sitting on the park bench for Cloud in the park where they arranged to meet. He did make the promise to Sora and Sora would be able to pick up if he actually talked to Cloud or not._
> 
> _He watched human children play on the playground, laughing and chasing each other around the colorful set. He thought of Kairi and her twins, picturing Kairi playing with kids. To his surprise, motherhood suited Kairi when he first saw her carry her newborn in her arms._
> 
> _He leaned back on the park bench, anxious. Waiting for Cloud had to be almost as excruciating as Cid’s training. He was starting to think of several reasons to tell Sora for leaving when he felt a presence behind him. He turned to look and there he was, Cloud._
> 
> _He was dressed lightly in a button-down shirt and jeans. Behind him, leaning against their parked car was Sephiroth. Cloud walked over and sat down beside Leon._
> 
> _“You’re here.” Cloud said, not knowing how to start off. Leon nodded. He didn’t know where to start._
> 
> _Cloud was there beside him and he couldn’t think of a single thing he wanted to say to him. He couldn’t even glance at the blond. He was leaning forward, his arms braced on his legs as he stared at the ground. He could see a trail of ants walk in front of his sneakers._
> 
> _“…I’m sorry…” Cloud said, breaking the silence between them. “I know it can’t possibly be enough by saying sorry but that’s the only thing I can say right now. I apologize Leon…for misleading and using you. I’m not going to ask for your forgiveness but please believe me when--”_
> 
> _“It’s fine,” Leon said, cutting Cloud off. Cloud stared at his ex-Guardian, his eyes slightly widened. “Really…It’s fine. What we had is in the past. Sora told me enough times to let it go.” Cloud stared at Leon, surprised by what he heard. A soft smile settled on his lips._
> 
> _“You’ve changed.” Cloud said as he stared at the playground and laughing kids. Leon chuckled and he leaned back._
> 
> _“Perhaps I have,” Leon said. “The Pincoya of my Kingdom gave birth to twins. The boy is a Pincoy.”_
> 
> _“Are you going to become his Guardian?” Cloud asked. Leon shook his head._
> 
> _“I’m Sora’s Guardian,” Leon said. “There’s going to be another but Sora made sure his existence wouldn’t be hidden from Isa. He wants to be his mentor.”_
> 
> _“Like I should’ve been,” Cloud said. Another silence fell between them but it was much less awkward._
> 
> _“Cloud…are you happy?” Leon asked. Cloud stared at his right hand. The silver ring on his ring finger shined. He ran his finger over the ring and he glanced back at Sephiroth. He looked back at Leon and nodded._
> 
> _“I am.” He said. Leon nodded and he stood up. “I have to get going. I’m sure Sora’s anxious to find out how our meeting went.” Cloud stood up as well._
> 
> _“So…I will see another time, Leon?” Cloud asked._
> 
> _“…It’s okay to call me Squall.” Leon said. A smile appeared on Cloud’s lips._
> 
> _“Bye, Squall.” Cloud said. Leon looked at Cloud and shared a small smile, the same they used to share years ago. He nodded his goodbye and began walking away as Cloud went back to Sephiroth._
> 
> _“Sora will be happy to hear this.” He said to himself as he walked to his home._

******

This lovely lady created two pieces of music for this fic and I'm forever gonna be touched she actually did that. Because wow, that is kinda amazing.

[Siren's Call Theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpiTPWiN5kU&feature=related)  
[Pincoy's Lullaby](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaVkDwtXwQY&feature=relmfu)  

Thank you for reading. 

******


End file.
